A New Beginning
by Sails01
Summary: The beginnings of Jack and Audrey's relationship, commencing 6 months post season 3 and 12 months pre season 4.
1. Chapter 1

_Hi all, I have been a long time reader here and have always wanted to post a Jack/Audrey story but never got around to it (until now) and I guess also forgot about it with the show being over for such a long time. 24 is my one of my favourite shows though and this year I decided to re-watch the entire series which has inspired me to write this story. I am a huge Jack/Audrey fan especially as S4 is the first season I got into 24 and S5 is when I really fell in love with it (but I have since seen the earlier seasons a few times, all of which I love). I know that Audrey isn't the most popular character and that this relationship isn't the most popular relationship and I can understand why when watching certain episodes or seasons (I especially wasn't sold on them in S4 alone) but after watching the entire series now a few times, I can say that I've been very moved by their relationship. I've thought and reflected a lot about this beautiful relationship over the years and believe that despite flaws and imperfections in themselves and their relationship, Jack and Audrey truly love each other and are willing to go to the ends of the Earth and sacrifice their lives for each other. The beauty (and curse) of 24 is that we see so little of these characters' lives so it is up to us to fill in the blanks in order to explain what led to this relationship, commitment and eternal love as well as what happened between later seasons which is why I am writing this story._

 _I'm not entirely sure where this story will end up, I'd love to write an ending for them that at least provides closure if not happiness but for now this will be a story of their beginning (pre S4) as I try to come up with a nice but realistic story as to how their relationship came to be. There are many stories out there portraying a range of potential beginnings to their relationship and I can truly see them starting out in a variety of circumstances but this will be my personal take on it. Given the barriers between them (including Audrey's marriage, the fact that they worked closely together, Audrey being the boss' daughter, the boss being a man that Jack respects/is close to and Jack's likely reluctance to open up and be vulnerable in a new relationship), I don't feel that Jack and Audrey were exactly quick to ask each other out on a date or begin a sexual relationship. I feel that their relationship would have started slowly and subtly and that they communicated, set boundaries and were mature about their emotions, feelings and fears from the start. This isn't always the most fun dynamic to write but I do feel that this is realistic for them, which is important to me when writing this story. From there, even though they were only together for six months, they obviously fell deeply in love with each other so I have to imagine that once their relationship started, they fell for each other quickly and had a loving, intimate, deep and solid connection that resulted in the relationship and love we see them open S4 with and carry throughout the rest of the series. Hopefully I can write a nice back story for them that shows how all of this developed._

 _Anyway, on with the story. Seeing as this leads up to S4 and S4 aired from January to May 2005, I will use this as a reference point and say that S4 occurred in May 2005. I know this isn't the correct timeframe if you count from S1 but the 24 timeline is complicated and the year doesn't really matter per say, I just want to keep a consistent timeframe within this story._

* * *

 **End of April 2004**

 _Approximately 6 months post season 3_

It was Friday evening and Jack was lost in his thoughts, thinking about the events that had led him to this point as he walked home from his new local grocery store carrying just a few essential items, not caring enough to pick up anything more than the basics required to get him through the next few days. As he walked, Jack made a mental note to start wearing warmer clothes here in Washington D.C. Even though the days were warm enough the evenings were still cold even in April when things were supposedly meant to be warming up.

Jack had spent the week moving and settling into Washington D.C. where he would begin his new job as Senior Advisor to the Secretary of Defence on Monday. Jack had been lucky enough that his daughter was able to join him in Washington D.C. for a few days and help him set up. Kim wasn't working at the moment, instead being the main caregiver to her step daughter Angela and she had been able to organise for someone to look after Angela for the week, allowing her to join him in Washington D.C. Kim had happily taken on the task of putting together Jack's new apartment provided she could use his credit card. Jack had to say that he was impressed as she had pulled together a nice space for him to live in over only a few days, including a nice guest room for her to come and stay any time. Jack was also happy that he had been able to spend some one on one time with Kim, something they hadn't done in a while. They enjoyed their few days together in the city, seeing as much as they could between unpacking, buying furniture and setting his apartment up. Jack had just dropped Kim back at the airport before coming home, realising that he had almost no food in his refrigerator and heading out to the store. As Jack walked around his new neighbourhood though, he realised that he was already feeling good in Washington D.C. even though he had been here less than a week and was looking forward to this new beginning for himself.

Jack had had a rough three months leading up to now and a rough few months before that, and before that, and before that. In fact, since Teri's death and truthfully even before that, Jack had been having a rough time but the last few months in particular had been very difficult. Six months ago, Jack suffered an unthinkably traumatic day as his undercover operation with the Salazars came to a haltering end. Jack made unthinkable and still haunting decisions that day, hundreds of innocent people were caught in the crossfire of securing the virus, one of his only true friends Tony had been taken to prison and although having since been released, Tony was suffering only more personal problems and above all, six months ago Jack's heroin addiction had been discovered and put on display. That day six months ago though only served as a reminder of many days before that. Jack had seen more colleagues and friends die and get hurt due simply to their line of work and Jack himself had nearly been killed numerous times, experienced physical torture and pain and been part of missions and decision making that inflicted even greater amounts of emotional pain that he would deal with for the rest of his life. In spite of the sheer loss and grief his job had caused him, Jack had still been devastated when three months ago he was fired from CTU.

Despite what the job had taken from Jack and his family not only since Teri's death but even beforehand, Jack had always believed in and thrived off the work they did and particularly over the last few years the intensity of the role had provided enough distraction for Jack to somehow keep putting one foot in front of the other and continue living his life instead of drowning in grief and suffering. Jack was also devastated that after showing such loyalty and commitment to his role and CTU, continuously placing his life at serious risk in order for their operations to succeed, he was fired for something he essentially did in order to be successful in an operation.

Jack had taken some time after losing his job to think long and hard about what was ahead for him. Despite his recorded off book and rule breaking behaviour, his reputation as an excellent field agent preceded him with many people in his industry having heard of him and greatly respecting the work that he had accomplished at CTU. In addition to this, Jack had stellar references including a recommendation from President Palmer himself. Jack knew that other agencies would be happy to hire him for field work and his first instinct was to go ahead and join another agency as quickly as possible, completing similar work and allowing himself to get lost in it again. Jack had stopped though and questioned whether jumping back into field work was the right choice for him. Despite believing in the work and enjoying the intensity and distraction of it, he couldn't deny the toll that the work had taken on him and he hated the stress that it put on Kim too, finally accepting that children can worry about their parents and that it wasn't only parents that worried about their children. Given that his personal sacrifices at work impacted her so much, Jack thought that perhaps it was time to stop making those sacrifices himself and let other eager people complete those roles whilst Jack stepped back into something else. After the excruciating pain his job at CTU had caused him and his family, maybe he was being given a chance to make things right again. Jack knew there were jobs where the safety of millions wouldn't rest on his shoulders and where physical fights, firing shots and being forced to be brutal weren't as commonplace as filing, phone calls and coffee runs and deep down Jack ached for a more normal life. Jack still wanted to serve his country but had started to think about doing this in a different capacity, with some semblance of a safe and normal life. Truthfully, since Jack stopped working, although he still got caught up in his memories sometimes, he realised that he felt much more relaxed without the constant input of national security crises and for the first time really understood that there were other people out there to handle those roles and take on those challenges and responsibilities.

For the first time in many years, without the distraction of work, Jack also acknowledged how lonely and detached from the world he was. Jack had now been without a loving, committed partner for five years, since Teri's death. Although Jack had dated a little over the years, the relationships had never progressed far. Jack had also never been close with his family or surrounded himself with a lot of friends but since Teri's death, he had shut out the family and friends that he had once spent time with. Jack had a good relationship with his daughter but she didn't need him like she did a few years ago and Jack didn't spend all that much time with her anymore. She was twenty years old and living a life of her own, in a loving relationship that made Jack happy for her but made him feel even lonelier and craving a relationship himself. Jack maintained his view that a field agent shouldn't be involved in a romantic relationship but now without the distraction of his job, he could admit to himself that he didn't want to be alone anymore. Jack wanted companionship in his life and dared to think that a different type of job could potentially allow him to have a relationship and a life, however far in the future that was. Jack was only thirty eight and although in no rush to be in a relationship, he couldn't deny that this was a long term desire of his. Although Teri's loss still weighed heavily on Jack, he knew that it was time to move on. Jack's attempts at dating over the last few years had taught him the aspects in which he was and wasn't ready for a new relationship at the time and reflecting on this now, he was sure that at this point in his life he was ready. Jack knew it wouldn't be an easy or quick process, particularly given his difficulties in trusting people on a personal level and opening up to them, and deep down he wondered if he could truly love anyone like he had loved Teri but he hoped that when he met a special woman, the right woman, she would be able to understand him and he would be able to trust and love her and find happiness again.

Jack had started looking for employment opportunities weeks ago, utilising his contacts as his first resource and he found that there were numerous and varied positions out there for someone with his experience. Jack had started getting in contact with different agencies and setting up interviews. Jack had looked at work nationwide, knowing that although he would miss his daughter if he moved, he needed to make a fresh start and was unsure whether the memories in Los Angeles would forever prevent him from doing that there. Jack knew that he could always fly back to Los Angeles to see Kim, or fly her out to see him as much as they wanted or needed.

Jack's job hunting had been successful and he was offered the job that he had liked the sound of the most, Senior Advisor to the Secretary of Defence, James Heller. James was a man that Jack had only recently gotten to know, but a man he greatly admired and respected. James was direct like Jack, and had already learnt of Jack's heroin addiction being the reason he was fired from CTU prior to Jack's interview. James gave Jack the opportunity to explain the situation though and like Jack, James felt that he had incurred the habit as part of his work and was happy to hear that it was no longer an ongoing issue for Jack. James was fair and said that he didn't see it as an issue, provided Jack didn't give him a reason to and that he would let Jack's past stay in his past, an attitude that increased Jack's respect for him and an attitude Jack hoped he would have should he ever be in a similar situation to James. As expected, James knew a lot about Jack's past the good and the bad and spoke about all of this, and a range of other topics with Jack during the long interview. James indicated that he would be offering Jack the job at the time of the interview, as James had been more than impressed with Jack's resume, file and references and the interview only confirming what he already knew.

Jack waited for a formal offer before accepting and planning his move to Washington D.C. but the moment he left the interview, he had felt confident and known that this was the job he wanted. Jack felt that the role would give him the opportunity to serve his country and that he would be able to add value to the role given his firsthand experience in the workings and realities of the strategies and policies that the Department of Defence created. Although he had a lot to learn in some aspects of the role, Jack was confident that he would learn quickly and that it would be an exciting opportunity to learn and grow. In addition to this, Jack respected James and would be honoured to work for someone like him, a factor that was very important in Jack's eyes.

Kim was thrilled when Jack told her that he was finally leaving fieldwork, which only reiterated that this was the right choice for him. Jack knew that the role would be stressful and involve long hours, frequent domestic travel and even potential international travel. Jack didn't mind though, he had always worked in stressful environments involving long and unpredictable hours and was just glad that this job wouldn't be putting him or his family in any danger. Jack also had little to be at home for and was eager for work to distract him again. Jack was looking forward to starting on Monday and as he walked into his apartment and started pulling groceries out of bags, he couldn't help but feel that being fired from CTU might have been a blessing in disguise and finally given him the chance he needed to commit to a new life.

* * *

Audrey arrived home late on Friday night. Work was always busy but the workload had been nothing short of crazy lately and she was looking forward to the new Senior Advisor starting on Monday, hoping that he would be able to lessen her workload a little. Not that Audrey exactly had much motivation to finish work on time and rush home lately anyway. This evening was like most others, as she arrived home to a dark and empty house with little evidence that anybody even currently lived there as Paul and Audrey were hardly ever home. Recently Paul's business dealings had grown and intensified considerably, particularly along the West Coast and he spent most of his time on the opposite side of the country, even purchasing an apartment there for his frequent visits without consulting her. Paul earned a great deal of money and Audrey wasn't upset about his purchase from a financial perspective but she was upset that he didn't even think to discuss such a big decision with her. Audrey had also found out that Paul had travelled to Europe for business meetings a couple of times over the last few months without mentioning it to her, again leaving her to question who travels overseas albeit it usually only for a night or two, without mentioning it to their wife. Paul seemed to tell Audrey less and less about his travels lately, attempting to avoid the subject as Audrey had expressed concerns particularly over the past year that his being away so frequently was seriously affecting their marriage.

Audrey poured herself a glass of wine and knowing that Paul was a few hours behind her on the West Coast, gave him a call. He seemed happy enough to talk with her although their conversation didn't hold much depth. Audrey gently asked when he would be home next after him being away for the past week and only home for a few days prior to that. He sighed and explained that some extremely important meetings were happening over the next fortnight and that he probably wouldn't be home for two weeks' time. He sensed her disappointment and said "I'm sorry Audrey, it's just imperative that I am here for these dealings and Washington D.C. is too far to come home just for a night or two. I'll make it up to you when I get home". Audrey knew what that meant though as they had been there many times before. Paul would bring her an expensive gift, take her out to dinner somewhere fancy and order the finest champagne in an attempt to make it up to her. Paul would always initiate sex later on, not seeming to notice or care that that part of their marriage had lost the spark and intimacy it once had. Paul expected that an extravagant evening out followed by being together was all that was needed to put their marriage back on track but he never listened to Audrey when she told him that she didn't need or want grand gestures or expensive evenings out, that what she actually wanted was a real marriage, a partnership, someone to come home to at least half of the time, someone to laugh with, someone to kiss good night. Audrey craved a loving and intimate relationship more than anything yet her marriage was far from it and hadn't been what she craved for a long time now. Audrey looked at her shiny engagement and wedding rings, then around at the big, empty house and wondered how marriage could make someone feel so lonely. Audrey felt herself start to get emotional so quickly ended the conversation with Paul and hung up.

Audrey finished her wine and ate a small dinner as she watched some mindless television before heading to bed where she lay there realising that her marriage was really and truly failing. Audrey had learnt to admit to her personal faults and their faults as a couple that led their marriage to this point and she had been more than willing to work on these but without Paul's commitment to making things better, there wasn't a lot that she could do.

Paul and Audrey had married in their late twenties. They loved each other, had been together for a couple of years and saw it as a natural progression in their relationship. However, they were both extremely career focused and since they married each other their marriage had always functioned as two independent, driven people living their independent and career focused lives rather than a married couple committing to each other, making decisions that included each other, making sacrifices for each other and building a life together. Paul and Audrey had always spent a lot of time apart, satisfied with spending time together on an occasional weeknight or the weekend, whenever their schedules allowed. Just as much as Paul, Audrey had also worked long hours, travelled and not been home as much as she should have during their marriage. For a long time though, neither had given this arrangement much thought as it seemed to work for them without any issues. It enabled them to work on their careers and they simply enjoyed any time they did get to spend together. This type of relationship had an expiry date though and when it hit Audrey, it hit her hard.

Over the past year Audrey had identified a lot of these issues and had been trying hard to work on them to improve their marriage. Audrey had tried to prioritise Paul, their relationship and change things between them for the better but Paul was never engaged. His carelessness to her concerns made her feel rejected and even worse about things. Recently, after a year of trying, Audrey had felt herself giving up. Audrey had spent the last year desperately craving someone to love and someone to love her back, both emotionally and physically and achieving that with Paul was sadly only feeling more and more out of reach. Even when she and Paul were together, they had lost the spark, the connection, the love that they once had which made her question whether they still truly loved each other at all and whether things between them would ever improve. For the first time, Audrey seriously started to consider what her life would be like if she and Paul separated and eventually, likely divorced. Audrey couldn't deny that it would be easy to stay with Paul. They had security, money, status, friends and comfort in their relationship but Audrey was lonely and sad and didn't want to live the rest of her life in an unhappy marriage. Audrey didn't hate Paul and he didn't hate her, their marriage just wasn't working anymore and she just didn't see how anything would change between them for the better. Audrey cried softly as she laid in bed, before her exhaustion got the better of her and she fell asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

_Thank you all for the kind reviews so far! As I said, I have always wanted to write this story and intend on doing so for myself (and for the characters, they deserve better) but it is so nice to see that other people are also enjoying it. I rewrote parts of this chapter a few times, mainly because I couldn't decide whether Jack would have known that Audrey was the daughter of the Secretary of Defence before he started his job but I ultimately decided that he would have known. Watching S4 and S5, it seems to be public knowledge that Audrey is Heller's daughter as people (who they likely don't know or don't know very well or at all) seem to know and reference this and neither Audrey nor Heller seem secretive about it, frequently referring to each other as "my father" or "my daughter". So, I can only assume that it isn't a secret and that it is presumed knowledge. Plus, Jack strikes me as the kind of guy who would do some research (or a lot of research) on his new boss and I just don't think that this fact would have escaped him. It's less fun to write it this way but Jack finding out on the job just didn't ring true to me. I would love to hear everyone else's thoughts on this if you care to share! Hope you enjoy this next chapter._

* * *

 **May 2004**

Jack had been working at the Department of Defence for nearly a month now and was enjoying the role. As expected, there were areas that he needed to get up to speed in but he was definitely proving to be a valuable asset to the team. Jack was a quick learner and was able to do more and more each day with the Secretary of Defence himself being very appreciative of Jack, consistently thanking Jack for the work he had been able to do since starting and for his experienced and insightful input.

The day to day life was something that Jack was still getting used to. Jack was used to fieldwork where the schedule was completely unpredictable and this contrasted heavily against his new schedule that had him waking up at the same time each morning, driving to work, taking a lunch break and a couple of coffee breaks throughout the day, maybe attending a few meetings out of the office and going home at night to essentially complete the same thing the following day. Jack could at least see the humour in the fact that he was more unsettled by an average routine than the total lack of routine that fieldwork brought him but knew he'd get used to a more normal routine in time.

Jack liked the team that he was working with and felt honoured to be working beside such intelligent and experienced people, albeit in an intense working environment. Jack was still getting used to the people of Washington D.C., a lot of whom seemed to be motivated by politics, power and money. Not that there was anything wrong with that but being someone who was more about the work itself, Jack struggled to relate and became frustrated when he witnessed the personal motivations of some get in the way of the work. Not everyone was like that though and he felt lucky to have met some genuine colleagues, especially the colleague that he happened to need to spend the most amount of his time with, Audrey.

Audrey wasn't there on Jack's first day at work, now nearly a month ago. James had mentioned that there had been some sort of crisis he had sent Audrey out to manage with a string of intense and high pressured meetings for the day. James had told Jack that he would be working with her a lot though and that he was eager to introduce them, hoping she could wrap things up that day and be in the next. James didn't mention it but Jack was aware that Audrey was his daughter. Jack had done his research on the Secretary of Defence prior to his interview, and some more research once he accepted his offer to work for him. Although Jack didn't have access to the all-knowing CTU databases anymore, his loyal friend Chloe was able to help him out. Jack had looked primarily at his new boss' experience and professional standpoints but had also read that he had two children including a daughter named Audrey who was one of his senior staff members. Although James had referred to her as Audrey Raines, Jack had no doubt that this was his daughter Audrey who just happened to no longer share his last name. Jack didn't have preconceptions as to Audrey being James' daughter however given that they would be working closely together in the future, Jack was eager to meet her.

Jack arrived at 7:30am on his second day of work and noticed that the office down the hall from his was open with light streaming out, when the door had been closed the previous day. Jack assumed that this was Audrey's office and that she had arrived at work at an even more awful early hour than him. He decided not to disturb her this early, went into his office and picked up on his work where he had left off the day before. At around 8:00am, Jack heard James come in and a few moments later, walked down the hallway to James' office to say good morning. James was talking to a very beautiful woman dressed in a professional but beautiful skirt, shirt and blazer that highlighted her figure. James smiled when he saw Jack and said "Good morning Jack, first things first, this is my Senior Policy Analyst, Audrey Raines". Jack was stunned for a moment, this was Audrey? Jack didn't know who exactly he had been expecting but this stunning woman was not who he expected to be the Senior Policy Analyst, the Secretary of Defence's daughter and his close colleague. Jack, luckily being an expert in covering his emotions easily covered his shock and shook her hand "Good to meet you Audrey". She smiled at him and said "You too Jack. The Secretary was just telling me what happened here yesterday. I hope he didn't scare you with too much work on your first day". Jack laughed and replied "Not at all".

Their eyes never left each other's during their initial greeting, Jack finding something compelling about Audrey from the start. Jack was honestly in awe of how gorgeous she was as he admired her beautiful smile and eyes. Jack couldn't remember the last time he had experienced such an initial reaction to a woman. Jack tore his eyes away to return his attention to James. James had asked Audrey to brief them on the previous day's events and within only a few minutes of her doing so, Jack knew that Audrey was as well-spoken, intelligent, capable and experienced as she was beautiful. James then spoke with both of them for a few minutes about what he wanted to accomplish by the end of the day and ideally end of the week. Confident in his next few tasks and their briefing over, Jack excused himself to return to his office. Before he walked out of the room, James told Jack that he was spending some time running over things with Audrey and that he'd check in with him soon. Jack said "Okay", smiled at them both and left the room.

Since that initial meeting almost a month ago, Audrey's beauty had not been lost on Jack. The more time he spent with her, the more beautiful he thought she was. She had long blonde hair, delicate features including high cheekbones, clear, kind green eyes, a genuine and beautiful smile, endearing laugh lines and a tanned, glowing complexion. She had a slim body with gentle, feminine curves and the sexiest legs he thought had ever seen. Jack tried not to look at her too much but it was difficult, she was gorgeous and flaunted a variety of professional outfits that seemed to always leave some part of her body exposed and for him to try to avoid gazing at.

Audrey's attractiveness was harder to ignore once Jack got to know her. Although Audrey was professional, she was definitely friendly towards him and they made small talk whenever the moment allowed, like at the end of a long day or when they were out of the office driving to a meeting or attending a lunch or some other event. Although they had only made small talk, it was enough for him to realise that Audrey was a good person. She was kind and some of her observations and comments were also quite funny.

Audrey spoke and acted with a certain confidence about her but never gave off the feeling that she had an inflated opinion of herself, her family or her job which Jack liked and only increased her attractiveness. Given her looks, intelligence, position and the fact that she was the Secretary of Defence's daughter, Audrey could easily use these things to her advantage and be quite intimidating if she wanted to be but Jack had already learnt that that wasn't really her style. Audrey liked to work hard, do a good job and let her work speak for itself. Overall, Jack was nothing but impressed with Audrey professionally and also liked her personally.

Audrey had also been good to Jack since he started. She was understanding of the role and the pressures placed upon them. Audrey, like Jack, was direct and asked him to let her know how much assistance he needed from her as she didn't want to offer him too much or too little. She was genuine in her offer to help and never made Jack feel like he was disturbing her when he asked for assistance but at the same time she trusted him to work independently and didn't check in on him too frequently if he didn't need it. Jack felt comfortable around her despite only knowing her for a few weeks and trusted his intuition in that she was someone he could trust and Jack definitely felt the beginnings of a strong working relationship. Of course, Jack could admit his attraction to her but the simple fact was that she was married so he did his best to suppress those thoughts, knowing they'd never be able to be expressed and was confident that they would disappear in time.

* * *

Audrey was incredibly grateful for Jack starting work with the Department of Defence. Like she had hoped, Jack had greatly reduced her workload and despite him still needing some help, he was picking up the role quicker than expected and was getting through the work with both impressive quality and speed. Audrey hadn't been quite sure what to expect of Jack when her father told her that he had hired him, giving her a rundown of his experience and history. James had told Audrey about some of Jack's impressive previous successes including Jack being the agent who stopped the release of the virus in Los Angeles a few months ago and the agent who was able to stop a nuclear bomb from detonating in Los Angeles a few years ago among many other victories although her father had mentioned that his success had come with a cost to his personal and family life. James didn't tell Audrey any details or any more than she needed to know, respecting Jack's privacy. Audrey was more than impressed with Jack's record, wondering who couldn't be impressed by someone who had a long history of being able to bring multiple international terrorists down. Based on what she knew of fieldwork and what her father had said, Audrey could appreciate Jack's desire to get out of fieldwork, and didn't doubt that he would be an asset to their team but she obviously had some questions about some of the off book behaviour that her father had touched on. James didn't seem too concerned though, already seeming to trust Jack and Audrey knew that she had no right to judge fieldwork, realistically knowing little about it. In the end, she trusted her father's judgement in hiring the right person and had been interested to meet Jack.

Jack was not what Audrey expected and he had intrigued her from the start, both professionally and personally. Professionally, he exceeded her expectations. Jack was intelligent and experienced in the realities of what they covered in theory and policy. She was surprised by how quickly she trusted his judgement and instincts and found herself wanting to hear more of his opinions and ideas, feeling herself learn from him, questioning and thinking differently to how she always had and feeling herself grow professionally simply by speaking with him. Her dad also remained impressed with Jack and she valued his opinion highly. Personally, she had probably expected someone forward, loud, opinionated, arrogant maybe, based only on what she had heard but although Jack was direct in his opinions, he was quiet, even reserved at times. Jack was thoughtful, kind and extremely respectful.

Audrey liked Jack a lot, felt comfortable with him and was glad that she would be working closely with someone like him moving forwards, particularly as the person who had last occupied his role had been extremely difficult to work with despite being experienced and well connected. That was another thing that Audrey liked about Jack, he was at work to work and not climb the ladder of Washington D.C. Audrey knew it was unfair for her to judge people trying to climb the ladder, as her father and upbringing had already given her a certain status without her doing anything, but she still found it hard to connect with people ruthlessly doing anything to increase their status, power or money and frequently questioned her relationships with those people, worried that they were more interested in her for her being the daughter of the Secretary of Defence and the personal connections in Washington D.C. that came with that. Audrey could tell that Jack wasn't in the job for those reasons. Jack was genuine and refreshing and she was happy to have someone like him around.

Things at home continued to be much the same with Audrey working late to avoid returning home to an empty house most nights of the week. Audrey still barely saw Paul, their usual contact being a phone call every couple of days. The tension even in their phone calls was rising though and things hadn't exactly been good between them the last couple of times they had seen each other in person. Their attempts to spend quality time together and connect were dwindling even when they were together. Audrey was feeling lonelier and unhappier by the day, something that hadn't gone unnoticed by her father, family and friends. Since the serious thought of asking Paul for a separation had crossed her mind, Audrey had almost constantly thought about it, starting to believe that it would be the best option for them particularly as Paul was still refusing to acknowledge her concerns or commit to improving their marriage. Audrey was happy to give it a little more time but she now had little faith that anything would change and felt that the time to discuss a separation with Paul was fast approaching.

* * *

Audrey had noticed that like her, Jack often stayed back in the office very late and despite there being a lot of work to do she hoped he knew that he didn't have to work around the clock and could go home, albeit still later than most people at most jobs. This particular evening, Audrey dropped by Jack's office on her way to make a cup of coffee which would hopefully help push her through her last pile of work until she went home for the night. Audrey knocked gently on his half open door and Jack looked up at her.

Jack knew that it was well past home time and was happy to see Audrey although wondered why she was always working so late. Being well past normal home time, Audrey had relaxed her look, wearing a comfortable cardigan rather than her blazer and had her hair down, giving her a more natural look. Jack thought that she looked beautiful.

"Hey, you know you don't need to stay here this late" Audrey said, smiling.

"It's more than fine, and besides, lots of people are still here, including you" Jack replied.

"Well, I'm always here but lately that has more to do with me not particularly wanting to spend a lot of time at home than it does with me needing to finish any urgent work". Audrey wasn't sure why she had said something so personal to Jack as she rarely referenced her personal life in such detail at work but the sentence had just come out. Audrey didn't feel strange about opening up to Jack for some reason despite the fact that they had never had a long or significant personal conversation but she did worry for a second as to what Jack would make of her personal statement. Jack only looked at her with understanding though, him having understood what she was implying about her personal life.

Instead of responding to her statement directly, if only because he wasn't sure what to say, Jack decided to respond by opening up a little himself. He smiled softly and said "Well, compared to fieldwork, the hours here aren't that crazy, and I kind of feel the same way as you". Audrey looked at Jack expectantly, waiting for him to continue. "I'm happy to be here, in this job, living a different life than I was but I had to give up everything I had in Los Angeles, including leaving my daughter so I don't particularly feel the need to rush home every evening either".

"You have a daughter?" Audrey asked, puzzled as to how he had been able to leave his child and potentially partner, and move halfway across the country.

"Yes, but she's twenty years old" Jack said and luckily continued after he must have seen the confusion on Audrey's face. "She was born when I was only eighteen". Audrey felt embarrassed, knowing her composure must have given way as he was speaking. "Wow" she said "I definitely did not know that you had a twenty year old daughter". They both laughed and Jack simply said "Yeah".

"You must miss her".

"I do. But she's a grown up now. She lives with her boyfriend and has her own life. I think I started missing her a few years ago, as soon as she needed me less. We talk a lot and have a few weekend trips planned to visit each other so we'll make it work. I think she's just happy that I'm not doing fieldwork anymore, she knows what it took from my life and she's happy to support me in any job that doesn't involve that, no matter where it is".

Audrey smiled a sincere smile and said "She sounds very mature, and it's good that she is supporting you".

"Yeah, it's funny, you look after and support your child for I don't know sixteen or eighteen years and before you know it they're supporting you and you need them as much as they need you".

Audrey laughed quietly and said "Yeah" as she tilted her head in the direction of her father's office and raised her eyebrows. Jack laughed at this, and also realised that this was the first time he had witnessed her make reference to being the Secretary of Defence's daughter. Jack had wondered if Audrey or James would ever formally tell him that Audrey was James's daughter but it seemed that they just presumed people knew and didn't go out of their way to announce or address it if people weren't aware.

Audrey realised yet again how much she enjoyed listening to Jack. Jack was interesting and spoke genuinely which Audrey liked. Audrey knew that she was interested and drawn in by everything he said professionally but as they had been speaking she realised that she felt the same way personally. Audrey could tell that his personality had a lot of depth and she found herself wanting to continue their conversation although her standing in his doorway late one night wasn't exactly the best for continued conversation. Audrey just smiled and said "Well, seeing as we're both staying here for a bit longer, I was actually just on my way to make a coffee, can I get you one?" Jack smiled and said yes, followed by Audrey asking how he liked his coffee made, Audrey remembering this for future reference. As Audrey made their coffees in the kitchen, Jack attempted to return to his work but he kept thinking about how much he had enjoyed his and Audrey's quick conversation, struggling to remember the last time he was able to open up a little and smile and laugh with someone.

Audrey walked back to Jack's office, placing his mug down for him. "Promise you'll leave soon" she said as she did so.

"Only if you promise the same".

Audrey laughed as she walked towards to door, looking back to smile and say "Okay" before leaving and walking back to her own office.


	3. Chapter 3

_Nothing too exciting here (yet), just another chapter covering this time in the characters' lives which provides some context for following chapters and is important to their overall story. Hopefully it provides some insight on the Jack/Heller relationship and of course more of how Jack and Audrey's feelings and relationship developed over time. Enjoy!_

* * *

 **Start of July 2004**

Jack's first couple of weeks at work had been largely office based but James, Jack and Audrey had completed quite a few trips recently, occasionally accompanied by another senior staff member but frequently just the three of them plus their security team. Jack didn't mind the travel at all, often taking the opportunity to get out for an early morning run in a new city or use the hotel gym before the day started. Jack was enjoying the activity that the travel brought and the newness and excitement of attending meetings, conferences and other events compared to being stuck in his office all day. Although everything seemed to involve sitting indoors, at least he got to move around throughout the day and frequently chance his environment when he was travelling. Not that Jack wasn't enjoying his job but he was still struggling to get used to it and the lifestyle it brought.

The travel also meant that Jack was spending increased time with James and Audrey. Jack had found though that they were easy to be around. Jack had been wary about the prospect of spending so much time with other people especially as he was with James and Audrey from early morning until late at night when they travelled but Jack quite enjoyed their company and was surprised that he didn't feel the need to separate from them and recharge at the end of the day or during his lunch break, if he had one. Jack's respect for James had only increased since he started working for him and Jack had also found that he and Audrey worked together incredibly well, often agreeing and enhancing each other's ideas but also finding it easy to talk through difficult situations and scenarios and listen and understand each other's point of view when they did disagree, not that it happened all that often.

Jack and Audrey tended to have a similar approach to work. They both enjoyed their work and shared the desire to do high quality and meaningful work first and foremost. They each held a strong moral compass and were determined and strong in their own opinions but were happy to hear input from people they respected, both doing their best to remain calm and rational but both prone to an occasional streak of intensity, more firm in their communication if they really believed in something or there was urgency to the situation. Despite the occasionally appropriate intense moment though, Jack was trying to get used to being more relaxed overall with decision making and negotiating, learning to accept that when decisions were not made in line with his opinions, it wasn't an immediate life or death situation like it was when he worked for CTU. Jack tried to remind himself that the strategies or policies that they were discussing and making decisions about potentially may not even lead to any real life situation. Jack had noticed their similarities found himself admiring Audrey's approach to work as a whole. Audrey was not as intense as Jack and had a more even temperament and was more easily and quickly able to move on from decisions not being made in line with her opinions, something Jack was working on. Jack had also noticed Audrey lighten up particularly during their breaks during the day or any events or engagements out of the office, something Jack was trying to take cues from and adapt himself.

James, Jack and Audrey had just spent a couple of nights in Boston and had been scheduled to fly home on Friday afternoon following the completion of a conference but questions, projects and meetings seemed to keep getting in their way resulting in a delay. They hadn't been able to fly home until later on Friday night. James didn't apologise for the delay, knowing that there was nothing anyone could have done but they were landing back in Washington D.C. at around 8:30pm, later than they had expected and hoped for.

James looked at both Jack and Audrey, noticing that they both looked tired. "Can I take you both out to dinner?" James asked. Jack and Audrey turned to look at him as he said "We've had a successful couple of days and I'd like to thank you for your hard work and it's getting late, too late to worry about getting home and making or buying dinner".

"Sure, thanks dad" Audrey replied.

"I appreciate that Mr Secretary but it really isn't necessary" Jack replied.

"Jack, I insist, unless you have other plans" James said.

"Are you sure you don't just want to have dinner with your daughter?" Jack questioned, wanting to give James and Audrey the option of spending time alone if that was what they really wanted.

"If Audrey didn't like you Jack, trust me, she'd have told me by now and I wouldn't have invited you to dinner" James replied candidly.

All three of them laughed at his response, Audrey blushing slightly and saying "I guess that's true. Really Jack, you are more than welcome".

"Ok" Jack said with a smile. Jack really did enjoy their company and James was right in that Jack didn't want to try and organise dinner this late on a Friday night.

As they got off the plane, James told Jack and Audrey where to meet him and within twenty minutes all three of them were at one of Washington D.C.'s finest restaurants. On the way there Jack had wondered how James had managed to wrangle a table as such short notice but as they arrived he saw James shake hands with the restaurant manage. Jack assumed that they knew each other and that along with being the Secretary of Defence was enough to score a table anywhere, anytime in Washington D.C.

The three of them sat down and Jack realised that despite spending a lot of time with James and Audrey, Jack hadn't spent purely social time with them and Jack felt honoured that James had asked him to dinner, particularly when he could have easily just had dinner with Audrey. Jack wasn't complaining about the chance to get to know Audrey better either.

James ordered them a glass of champagne each to start to celebrate the last few days, their trip to Boston having been a great success. Throughout dinner, Jack found himself incredibly comfortable with James and Audrey, discussing work for a while before moving onto more personal topics. Jack smiled and laughed more than he had in a long time with both James and Audrey taking the opportunity to open up their lives to Jack and share mildly or in one or two cases moderately embarrassing stories of the other and making a few amusing remarks to the other. Jack had always been impressed by how professional they were during work, noticing that you would never pick up on them being father and daughter if you didn't know already but Jack was happy to see this side of their relationship that he hadn't witnessed before. James and Audrey asked Jack more about his previous job and successful operations, stories of which had spread around Washington D.C. as well as sneaking in a few questions about his friendship with President Palmer. They encouraged Jack to share some stories from his own life which he found felt good talking about. The conversation flowed easily back and forth, Jack grateful to get to hear about their lives and share some light stories of his own.

After Audrey had shared a particularly humorous story about her father, James grinned and said "Daughters, they'll drive you crazy". Jack agreed, prompting James to ask how Kim was going. Jack had told James that he had a daughter but hadn't really discussed her with him. Jack could also see Audrey listening to him attentively as he spoke about Kim, Jack explaining that she was doing really well, making a life for herself but mentioning that the past few years since her mother's death hadn't been easy on her and even though she was past a lot of her difficulties, Jack still couldn't help but worry about her. James laughed and said that daughters will always worry their dads, even when they can see them doing well. Audrey smiled when he said this and leant across to place her hand on her dad's arm for a moment. James also took the opportunity to tell Jack a little about his other child, Richard who was apparently more than a handful growing up and was still trouble today, despite nearly being thirty years old.

Their dinner continued with light but meaningful conversation and Jack enjoyed himself. Jack particularly thought that it was nice to be around Audrey who seemed to have this perfect mix of being talkative yet an intent listener and conversation with her was easy. Jack wasn't one to talk a lot with someone but he could picture himself talking to Audrey for a long time without getting bored or overwhelmed by conversation. Jack also noticed a certain warmth to Audrey over dinner. He had seen glimpses of it when she was with her father or a few close colleagues at work but this was the most Jack had seen it and experienced it himself. Audrey was always kind and friendly but still remained somewhat cool and neutral at work and Jack was definitely enjoying this warmth to her, seeing what a good effect she had on people including himself.

Before they left, James opened up to Jack and said that he had been worried about hiring someone for Jack's position, saying that although he liked things to be professional, he liked travelling with his daughter and having the chance to enjoy each other's personal company when the moment allowed and had always wanted someone like Jack to travel alongside them, keeping that mood where they respected and cared for each other as colleagues and people. James touched on the fact that the person in the job before him had not been very easy to work with or get along with, despite being good at his job and that he frustrated both James and Audrey, making the amount of time they all spent together difficult. Jack was grateful for the compliment and the evening left Jack only happier with his decision to agree to take this position and work for James, and grateful for getting to spend more time with James and Audrey. Although they obviously had money, status and power, Jack found the Heller's to be understanding, kind and simply good people, exactly the type of people Jack respected wanted to work with and for.

Although Jack had a great evening, as he drove home he started thinking about Audrey again and was left feeling worse than ever about his ongoing attraction to her. Jack couldn't do anything about his feelings but her being the boss' daughter made the attraction seem more wrong than it already was, on top of her being married and the two of them being colleagues. To make it worse, Jack respected and looked up to James a lot and was only growing closer to him and Audrey, making him feel guiltier at some of the particular thoughts of Audrey that had worked their way into Jack's head over the last few months and continued to pop up more regularly than he would like. Jack was left again now after more than two months of doing so, willing his feelings for Audrey to disappear and desperately hoping that this would happen sooner rather than later.

* * *

 **End of July 2004**

After months of escalating tension, growing unhappiness and fading love between Audrey and Paul, Audrey had finally made the decision to discuss a separation with her husband. The decision hadn't been easy to make but Audrey had been seriously thinking about it and considering her options for a few months now, knowing that she couldn't let things continue the way that they were. Audrey had come to the conclusion that a separation would improve her life, as sad as that was to admit and was confident that this this was the best way for her to move forwards in her life. Paul was still not engaging in their marriage, almost acting as if he didn't have a wife as his travel was only increasing, his time spent at home was dwindling, he communicated with her less and less and he seemed to keep making large decisions about his future without consulting her. Their usual phone calls and text messages when they were apart had decreased, usually Audrey being the one to make the effort to so much as speak with Paul for five or ten minutes every couple of days. Likewise, when they were together they had almost completely stopped having meaningful conversations, spending quality time together, being affectionate to one another or being physically intimate. These were not new issues yet Audrey was still surprised at how the same issues from months or even a year ago or realistically, even longer ago were still somehow getting worse. Although things were worsening, at the same time after well over a year of raising her concerns with Paul, he still was not acknowledging their issues or her feelings, ultimately refusing to discuss or work on their marriage. After months of feeling rejected, being sad and tearfully weighing up her options, now that she had made a decision she was left feeling little emotion about separating from Paul other than a general sadness about them having growing apart rather than growing together over the years ultimately resulting in this situation.

Audrey had raised this with Paul a few days ago when he was home for the night. Paul had been angry when she first mentioned the word "separation", so angry that Audrey had just sat on the lounge for a few minutes while Paul paced back and forth in their living room, yelling about what she was suggesting. Paul had always worked hard in order to achieve his goals before displaying his achievements proudly and moving onto the next thing. Sadly, getting married wasn't achievement in itself and he had failed to realise that a happy marriage was a continued goal, something to continue working on and Audrey suspected that Paul was more outraged at the fact that he would no longer have a wife, this achievement he had once worked hard for rather than being truly upset about the state of their relationship or losing her.

Paul finally calmed down and for the first time in a long time, seemed to actually listen to her. Audrey was clear about her feelings and they spoke about the situation as calmly as possible, none of Audrey's concerns being new to Paul's ears, her having spoken about them for over a year now. Paul sadly said that he was sorry for putting off working on their marriage for so long and that he obviously knew there were issues but admitted that he was still shocked by hearing her ask to separate. Audrey asked Paul what his thoughts and feelings were, what he wanted to do, half hoping he'd say he loved her and wanted to work on their marriage at any cost and half hoping he'd just agree to the separation that she had already had made peace with in her mind. Paul didn't have anything of value to say to rebut her concerns, loneliness or unhappiness and still didn't make any large declarations of love or promise to work on their marriage and he agreed to a separation, without filing for divorce at this stage. Audrey agreed that she only wanted a separation, giving them some more time to think before making any final decisions but realistically Audrey couldn't picture a scenario where they would happily get back together. They ended up agreeing to take a few months, up to a year apart and see how things went.

That was last week and Audrey had just spent the weekend moving into her new house in Alexandria. Audrey told Paul that she hadn't let her long term tenants renew their lease on her house in Alexandria when the time arose a month or so ago, confirming her anticipation of this separation and told him that she'd be happy to move in there for the time being. Audrey slept in the guest room that night and by the time she got home from work the next day, Paul had already left, sending her a text message saying that he'd be gone for at least a week, giving Audrey time to move out over the upcoming weekend. Audrey could have stayed in their home, knowing that Paul would probably rarely come back to Washington D.C. now that they had separated but wanted to leave that up to him and preferred the idea of getting out of their big home that they shared together as a married couple and instead setting up a place for her to take back her independence, life and happiness. Audrey had owned the house in Alexandria for years, before she and Paul were even married. In her mid twenties, Audrey bought a small but beautiful townhouse in Alexandria, one of her favourite areas of Washington D.C. Her father helped her buy the property. At the time, Audrey hadn't loved the idea of her father helping her buy a property but he was in a financial position to comfortably do so and it had always been a dream of his to help set his children up financially, particularly his daughter and particularly independently, before she got married. At the time Audrey had saved a fair share of the deposit herself and over the next couple of years, once rental money from her tenants started coming in and along with her steadily rising income as she got older, she had paid her father back most of his loan, him refusing that she pay back everything though. Audrey had never lived in the house and had kept it an investment property from the start but she was excited at the chance to live in this house that she had always loved, in one of her favourite areas of the city and was and looking forward to making the place comfortable, cosy, and entirely hers.

Audrey had told her family including her father and her close friends about hers and Paul's separation as soon as they had agreed to it and Audrey was both surprised and pleased to find that they all completely supported her in her decision, knowing that their marriage had been making her unhappy for some time now. Audrey had been particularly worried regarding her father's reaction, knowing that he wasn't exactly supportive of divorce in general, but he knew that Paul was barely at home more than a few nights a month and he didn't want her to be lonely or unhappy any more than she wanted to be. Audrey had a couple of friends offer to help her move over the weekend, the friends also offering the help of their husbands to assist with moving heavier furniture and boxes. Her dad had also offered to help but Audrey had declined his offer as he wasn't in any shape to be lifting even her lighter boxes. He wasn't in great shape, no matter how much she had encouraged him over the years to start prioritising his physical health and fitness more.

With the help of some of her friends, Audrey had packed and taken some things from her and Paul's house, had purchased some things and had unpacked, organised and decorated tirelessly over the weekend. Although there was still work to do, she was impressed by what she had been able to accomplish in just a couple of days and the house was furnished and functional enough to comfortably live in. The house was small compared to the stately home she and Paul had shared but it was more than big enough for her. She wondered why she and Paul had needed such a big, fancy house anyway. The fact that her new place was small made it feel homey and it had been easy to fill and decorate the space, the place looking good with small touches like a few pieces of artwork, a couple of photos, a candle here and there, a fresh bunch of flowers and soft cushions and blankets throughout the living room and bedroom. Audrey also had a small patio that the sun seemed to hit perfectly and she could picture herself spending time out there on the weekend. The place was closer to work than where she and Paul had been living which meant she'd have a bit of extra time in her day and it was close to the river, parks, some of her favourite cafes, shops and restaurants, all of which she was looking forward to checking out. As a final commitment to her separation and new life, Audrey had also taken off her engagement and wedding rings and left them with the rest of her jewellery in her new bedroom.

By Sunday night, Audrey was satisfied with her achievements for the time being and was completely exhausted by moving. As a thank you to her friends for helping her move all weekend, she ordered and paid for take away Italian food from one of her favourite Italian restaurants in Washington D.C. which now happened to only be a few streets away from her. Audrey went all out ordering salads, pasta, pizzas and some side dishes and opened a couple of bottles of wine. She knew she'd have leftovers but at least she'd have dinner to last her a few nights, saving her the hassle of cooking when she came home from work. Her father had also dropped in on Sunday night to see how she was going. He had been more than impressed when he saw the new place, commenting that it was "Very Audrey" which made her feel proud and also he also commented on her seemingly motivated, happy outlook. He had also happily agreed to join her and her friends for dinner. Sitting around her new dining table, eating, talking and smiling with family and friends, Audrey felt thankful for the love and support that she had in her life.

Her father hadn't been wrong when he said that she seemed motivated and happy. Audrey did feel motivated by this separation. Having been sad about her failing marriage for many months, it wasn't only that she didn't have the energy left to continue being sad but she truly felt that this was the right decision for her. Audrey was grateful for this weekend's reminder of how loving and supportive her family and friends were, things at work and with her progressing career were great and she was feeling energetic and inspired to independently rebuild her life and happiness. Although she knew this huge life change could go one of many different ways, Audrey couldn't shake the feeling that something good was on the horizon and was both hopeful and confident that things would only get better for her.


	4. Chapter 4

**September 2004**

Jack walked into his office after his lunch break, if you could call it that. After a meeting that went over an hour later than expected, he and Audrey who were both extremely hungry walked out of the office to a nearby café together, ordered a sandwich each and quickly brought their lunch back to their offices to eat whilst they continued to work on a few urgent projects they were hoping to finish by the end of the day. They had only spent ten or so minutes getting their lunch and talking, but Jack's small moments with Audrey like this definitely brightened his day. Jack liked working with her and speaking professionally with her but when they were in an informal setting like getting lunch together, they usually stopped talking about work and let the conversation turn to something else. They didn't reveal too much to each other or have any deep conversations but they let their conversation graze their personal lives and they had shared enough moments by now that Jack felt he and Audrey were definitely getting to know each other. Work could be heavy and draining at times and Jack liked that he had found a friend in Audrey, someone to talk to throughout the day even if it was just for a few minutes here and there. Jack felt their friendship growing quickly and the more Jack got to know Audrey, the more he liked her as a person, friend and of course more than that.

Despite starting to work at the Department of Defence over four months ago and despite Jack's initial confidence that his attraction to Audrey would disappear in time, his attraction had only grown. Jack was extremely physically attracted to Audrey and the fact that she was intelligent and kind and had become not only a trusted colleague but a friend only heightened his feelings. Jack had grown tired of trying to suppress or ignore his attraction and was now simply allowing it to take up space in his head, allowing his feelings and thoughts of ways he would like to act on them to cross his mind, although he knew that given the situation between them he would likely never have the chance to act on them. Jack hoped that by allowing his feelings to happen and run their course, he then might be able to get over them but he was having little luck with this strategy so far. Jack couldn't explain why his feelings wouldn't go away but he simply felt so drawn to Audrey, unable to explain this pull that he felt towards her.

Over the four months that they had worked together, Audrey had been married for the majority of that time, albeit a failing marriage however she had recently separated. Jack paid great attention to detail and had noticed the day that Audrey stopped wearing her engagement and wedding rings. Audrey had been open about the fact that she and Paul had separated, mentioning it during a conversation a few weeks ago when she told Jack about how she had moved over the previous weekend. Jack at least felt slightly less guilty now that he was not lusting after a married woman but rather than his feelings dissipating over time like he had hoped they would, news of her separation had only fuelled his feelings for her and encouraged him to imagine a scenario where the two of them might be able to be together in the future. Jack was getting way ahead of himself though. Technically Audrey was still married and her marriage was only one barrier in his way. The two of them working closely together and her being the boss' daughter were two additional barriers let alone the fact that Audrey might not even feel the same way which was really the most important factor in all of this.

Despite the confusing thoughts and emotions clouding his head when it came to Audrey, Jack had definitely picked up on some interesting but unexpected body language and unanticipated moments with her lately. There had been a few long glances at each other of late, one of them catching the other looking at them and yet not turning away as soon as they were caught. Jack and Audrey also seemed to find opportunities to spend time together, turning one person tasks into two person tasks, working in closer proximity than necessary or sitting or standing next to each other at almost any meeting or event they attended. They often checked in on each other during the day, asking if the other wanted coffee or food as the other went to get something or heading out together to get something. They would drop papers off at each other's desks or drop by to let each other know something even when it wasn't urgent and could easily have waited until later to be grouped with another more pressing matter. They had also touched each other a couple of times recently, absolutely not in an inappropriate way but Jack had softly touched Audrey's back a couple of times, leading her for a moment as they walked somewhere and Audrey had gently brushed Jack's arm or shoulder a couple of times in the midst of handing him something, asking him a question or simply during conversation. The touches were only friendly but completely unnecessary and along with everything else, their interactions had become very friendly and even flirty. Jack had initially thought that Audrey had just started treating him like other people she cared for at work, aware that she was warm and compassionate with her father and a few close colleagues but there was a special chemistry to their dealings and relationship that Jack didn't think he was imagining. Jack wanted the moments to stop because they were confusing and likely leading to nothing but honestly they were also nice and seemed to creep up on him without his input or realisation.

One particular moment had been replaying in Jack's head for the last week or so. Jack had dropped Audrey home the other night after an event, an important dinner at a hotel in the city. They were leaving at the same time and Jack had driven but Audrey had not, having come in her father's limousine with him straight from an appointment. Jack had asked Audrey if she wanted a lift home as it was late, raining and there were no taxis directly out the front for her to quickly jump into. Although it would only take a few minutes to get a taxi, Jack had parked so close and it probably would have been quicker for her to come with him. Jack also felt the want to drop her home and make sure she got there safely. As Audrey was living in Alexandria now and had mentioned this to him a few weeks ago, Jack reminded her that it wouldn't be putting him out of his way as he didn't live far from her. Audrey had checked a few times to make sure he really didn't mind and Jack had insisted. They had made easy conversation during their car trip, just the two of them, as if they always spent time together like this. When they pulled up in front of her place, Audrey had touched Jack's shoulder briefly as she thanked him for dropping her home. In that moment there was something in her eyes that made Jack think that she might feel for him the same way he did for her. The moment passed quickly but it was enough to make a lasting impression on him.

Audrey was brilliant, beautiful and under different circumstances, Jack would definitely ask her out given how attracted to her he was but he wasn't going to risk their working relationship or his position at work in making a move on her with so many barriers in their way, regardless of how much he wanted to or how much he thought that she also might want him to. The stakes were too high if things didn't go the way he hoped. If he did make a move and it wasn't reciprocated, it would be a disaster. Even if Audrey did feel the same way and they dated and then things ended badly, or ended at all, it would make work incredibly awkward and impact their working relationship no matter how mature they tried to be about the situation. If Audrey did feel the same way and she herself made a move or initiated something, that could change things but even then the situation would still be complicated and Jack wasn't sure how he would feel about it all. Jack knew the best option was to get over his feelings for Audrey but it was just harder than he had originally anticipated.

Jack held out some hope, knowing that he couldn't tell what the future held. Circumstances could change in a matter of weeks or months. Maybe future circumstances would align and allow them to be together. Realistically though, Jack could only assume that she might get back together with her husband and if not, someone like Audrey could have any man she pleased. The chances of her commencing a new relationship with someone she already knew or was bound to meet in the near future were high and Jack knew that he was being too hopeful in thinking that she still might be more or less available and interested in him in a few months' time. Jack reminded himself again though that she may not currently have and may never have feelings for him, in which case all of his thinking and hoping and planning was all for nothing.

Jack cursed himself, lost in endless thoughts of Audrey again. What was he to do though? Jack could hardly avoid her given how closely they needed to work and he didn't want to. Although his romantic feelings were frustrating, they were friends. Jack liked her, enjoyed her company and worked well with her. Jack felt good and happy around her and was honestly happy to spend any time with her. Jack was concerned though, given that the connection between them only seemed to be building and after four months of actively trying to settle his feelings for her, he had failed miserably.

Aside from Audrey herself, Jack couldn't deny that he was lonely. Jack knew that what he was doing in Washington D.C. was necessary in order to put his life back together but he had been away from Los Angeles for a few months now and was struggling, particularly without his daughter. For the first time in a long time, Jack had a job that wasn't constantly putting him in danger and he had started to envision himself in a relationship with someone in his hopefully near future. Jack had met a lot of women through this job and the extensive networking that came with it however his brain wouldn't let him develop feelings for or even acknowledge the potential for dating or a relationship with any of those women as he simply wasn't interested, being so caught up in Audrey.

Jack turned to his work, ignoring his lunch for a few more minutes and tried to push his thoughts of Audrey out of his head.

* * *

Although Audrey had only technically been separated for about eight weeks, she had known that her marriage was over for months now. Paul hadn't even attempted to contact her in the eight weeks since their separation, confirming his disinterest in her and their marriage. If anything, this fact was only yet another thing that confirmed to her that she had made the right decision. Whilst it was scary being on her own after a ten year relationship and the security that marriage brought, in the eight weeks that she had been separated she already knew that she was happier alone than she had been in her crumbling marriage and she had every intention of filing for divorce as time allowed. Something Audrey hadn't counted on happening so quickly though was her strong attraction to another man, Jack.

Audrey could easily admit that she had always found Jack attractive, had always liked him on a personal level and had always known that they had a great working relationship but since her marriage ended, she had started to find certain thoughts and feelings enter her mind that were much beyond the colleague kind of friendship they shared. It had been at least a month if not longer since she first started experiencing these feelings which started off light and exciting but her feelings had quickly grown into a full blown attraction leaving Audrey with no idea what to do.

Audrey had always thought that she and Jack worked together well and found working closely with Jack to not only be effective buy easy and enjoyable. Her father had also commented on how well they worked together. Audrey continued to learn a lot from Jack and they were always eager to discuss their work and hear each other's ideas. In their line of work, conversations could easily turn into heated arguments but she and Jack never argued. They often agreed which admittedly made things easier but when navigating disagreements or uncertain territory, they found it easy to talk to each other, listen to each other, understand each other's point of view and meet in the middle or simply agree to disagree. Whether they agreed or disagreed, Jack was always completely respectful of her and treated her well, which was not always how people, unfortunately but particularly some men treated her at work. Beyond the office, they spent a lot of time together at various meetings, events and engagements and all the travel in between and Audrey had found that she enjoyed Jack's company, felt comfortable with him and was not only enjoying their professional relationship but also what had turned into a friendship.

Things for Audrey however had progressed well beyond friendship lately though. For one, Audrey had found herself struggling to get past Jack's good looks. Audrey found Jack incredibly attractive. He was handsome, gorgeous even. His navy blue eyes and endearing creases around those eyes, his intent but appealing stare, his messy dark blonde hair, tanned skin, his persisting and sexy stubble on his strong and defined jawline, the curve of his lips and his sweet and sincere smile that made her melt were only some of the things that Audrey liked about Jack. Audrey even liked the way he walked and talked. She thought that he had the sexiest voice. Audrey couldn't remember if she had always thought that his voice was sexy or if she had only recently realised this but once she took notice of it, she hadn't been able to get the thought out of her head. Audrey hadn't seen a lot of Jack's body, only seeing him in a suit but she had glimpsed his strong, muscular and tattooed forearms a couple of times, working late when he had rolled his sleeves up a little. The tiny glimpse had only encouraged her mind to wander and think about what those hands and arms would feel like on and around her body and think about what the rest of his body might look like. Audrey imagined he worked out from what she had seen and what she imagined the physical requirements of his previous role required. In addition to all of that, if that wasn't enough, Jack had such a presence, a sexy demeanour and the way he carried himself was simply attractive. Jack was smart, well spoken, confident and in control but at the same time patient, kind and respectful. Jack was everything she thought a good and attractive man should be and she found herself wanting to get wrapped up in all of him.

It wasn't only physical attraction though. As Audrey had come to know Jack more and more, she found that she felt incredibly comfortable with him and realised that she was really starting to care for him. Jack was interesting and she could imagine herself talking with him for hours about anything and everything, never getting bored. As strong as Jack was and as solid and ruthless as his professional background was, Audrey had also seen a respectful, gentle side to Jack and he had only ever been nice and a complete gentleman with her. Jack treated people with respect, something she had seen professionally but he even treated strangers with respect and it was just nice to be around him. Just now they had come back from getting lunch where Jack had helped a woman with a stroller manoeuvre down the stairs from the café to the street. In other instances Audrey had seen Jack take the time to talk to and thank a barista as they made Jack's coffee and Jack never missed a thank you to their security team when they held doors open for them or drove them around. These were all only small moments but they were very telling as to how thoughtful Jack really was and every moment like this that Audrey witnessed, she felt her heart flutter a little.

Audrey really liked Jack a lot and he felt that he liked her too but she couldn't be sure. Even though they worked in close proximity and often together, they seemed to share a lot of moments that seemed to go beyond that and those moments seemed to be increasing lately. Whether those moments be lingering glances with eye contact lasting much longer than necessary before breaking their gaze, positioning themselves close together at meetings and events, completing work together that they could probably complete individually, bringing each other coffee during the day or simply finding small moments to spend together like just now when they went to get lunch together or dropping into each other's offices during the day to talk about things that probably weren't that important or urgent but provided another excuse to be around each other. Jack and Audrey had also gently touched each other a couple of times lately, whether it was just her hand brushing Jack's arm or shoulder quickly or Jack's hand on her back for a moment, they were touches that could pass for appropriate between friends but the feelings that Audrey had when she and Jack touched were not just friendly. There seemed to be an easy but exciting chemistry between them, something Audrey couldn't really explain but that she wanted to experience more of, despite telling herself that her attraction to Jack was probably nothing that could end well given their situation.

There had also been a few particular moments lately though that caught Audrey's attention. Jack and Audrey left the office at the same time a few nights ago and Jack had walked her to her car. Their carpark was completely safe and the walk was unnecessary but he insisted and she was happy to spend the extra time with him. It was only a small moment but it was caring and sweet and made Audrey think that surely Jack wouldn't have done that if he didn't like her. Audrey had also spent a short car trip with Jack recently too when he dropped her home from a dinner event one night. They had been leaving an event and it was late, cold and raining and there wasn't a taxi in her immediate sight. Jack had parked so close to where they exited and he had sincerely offered her a ride home, almost insisting. Audrey knew that she wasn't really putting him out and honestly she had much preferred the idea of Jack dropping her home rather than getting a taxi. Audrey had felt comfortable, safe, and even happy with Jack during their car trip. There was nothing particularly romantic about it, just talking like friends over the time that they were in the car together. When they got onto her street, Jack double parked right out the front of her house so that she could run in and get out of the rain as quickly as possible. Audrey had touched Jack's shoulder gently as she said thank you, the closeness and privacy of the moment not lost on her before she quickly got out of his car and ran up to her house. She noticed though that he didn't drive away until she had opened the door and was safely inside. As she walked inside, Audrey gave a small wave and smiled, more to herself than Jack. In total they had shared maybe twenty minutes together but that small amount of time and the moments they shared had sparked something in her, made her think that maybe Jack really did care about her and again her mind was filled with thoughts, feelings and ideas about Jack and what it would be like to get closer to him, thoughts that she probably shouldn't be having about one of her closest colleagues.

Despite Audrey thinking that Jack might like her too, which again, she wasn't sure of, even if he did like her, it wasn't really a simple situation of two people having feelings for each other and going from there. Things were so complicated. Audrey herself was newly out of her marriage, which was a relationship spanning ten years of her life and she was focused on rebuilding her independence and happiness, never intending to have feelings for a new man so soon. Although Audrey had no plans to get back together with Paul and was more than open to the idea of a new relationship, she didn't know how soon in the future that should be and she was just in an unsteady and new period of her life. Audrey and Jack also worked together and very closely at that, frequently working on the same projects, sitting in an office together, attending meetings together, going to events together and travelling together. Surely any smart person does their best to get over their feelings for such a close colleague, which was what Audrey was trying to do but it was proving difficult. In addition to them working closely together, her father was their boss which only further added to the complicated nature of this whole dynamic. All of that aside, Jack might not even like her back. Audrey admittedly wasn't even entirely sure on Jack's relationship status and he could be seeing someone for all she knew. Audrey had learnt that Jack's wife died five or so years ago and he hadn't mentioned a current partner but that didn't mean that he didn't have one or wasn't seeing someone. Even if he wasn't seeing anyone, given that his wife died, she had no idea what he wanted or hoped for his love life in his future and wasn't about to assume anything. But she really liked him and didn't think she was imagining the chemistry between them. Technically, they were both single adults who could do what they wanted, if they wanted, but still there were so many unknowns and complications.

Audrey wasn't exactly sure what to make of it all but she definitely felt tension rising between them and each day felt that she wanted to act on her feelings more and more. She was still banking on her feelings disappearing but at this current rate, she just didn't know if she could see that happening. If not, Audrey knew she would need to reassess and decide whether acting on her feelings was an option, if she even remembered how to do that after being in the same relationship for the last ten years. Audrey didn't want to act or even think prematurely though, her attraction and connection to Jack was enticing and exciting but she did hope the feelings would run their course, letting things stay professional and easy. For now, Audrey did her best to push any further questions or thoughts about Jack to another part of her brain, to think about and deal with later if her feelings for him still existed like they did now.

* * *

Audrey got back to her desk after getting a quick lunch with Jack. She opened her lunch only to realise that she and Jack had swapped lunches somehow when they went to their favourite nearby café to get sandwiches. Audrey walked down the hall to Jack's office. The door was half open as usual and he wasn't on a phone call so she didn't bother to knock and simply walked in. Audrey saw that Jack hadn't opened his lunch yet so wouldn't yet have noticed that they had been swapped.

Jack looked up as he heard and saw Audrey enter his office. God, he had still been wrapped up in thoughts of Audrey as she walked in. Like always, his first thought whenever he saw her, even though he had only seen her a few minutes earlier was that she was beautiful.

"Our lunches got swapped" she said, smiling.

"Oh, no problem" Jack said, swapping bags with her, their hands brushing against each other's, causing both of them to enjoy the quick warmth and softness of the other's skin, neither realising that the other was thinking the exact same thing.

Audrey turned to walk out of Jack's office, Jack's eyes trailing after her, unable to tear his eyes away from her beautiful body. Audrey turned in his doorway to say that she would see him later but noticed that his eyes were already on her. Had he watched her walk away instead of turning back to his work? They held each other's gaze for a second before she smiled again, finally said her "See you later" and walked away, wondering if Jack actually had been looking at her, unsure what to make of yet another moment between them. Audrey let it go, as she had promised herself she'd stop analysing her and Jack's relationship for the time being, hoping that these moments passed and only reassessing if things didn't change over the next few weeks or months.

Jack cursed himself, he knew better than to do things like that, getting caught looking at Audrey but her gaze had been… interesting. She smiled. If anything she seemed pleased that she'd caught him looking at her. Was he reading too much into it? Again, another confusing moment had passed that Jack wasn't sure what to do with. Jack sighed as he finally opened his lunch and forced his mind to focus on the work in front of him.


	5. Chapter 5

_Hi again and thank you all so much for reading. It's just crazy to me that this show has been over for so long yet there are still so many fans invested in reading about the characters and in particular this relationship that I'm writing about. I love it! I am also loving your kind reviews too, especially letting me know your thoughts on the events, feelings and other things that I am trying to depict. It is important to me that I capture the essence of the characters correctly (along with obviously making some of my own assumptions given that this is 24) so any feedback or conversation is more than appreciated. After some anticipation, here is where the relationship finally moves a little. Hope you like this next chapter._

* * *

 **October 2004**

It was the last week of October and Audrey found herself ending the month by travelling to Chicago with her father and Jack. They spent Monday in Washington D.C. completing the final preparations for their trip and were scheduled to be in Chicago from Tuesday through to Friday for a very busy few days of attending and accompanying the Secretary of Defence to a string of meetings and media appearances not to mention speeches, lunches, dinners and other events. It was late on Thursday afternoon however when the Secretary of Defence received a call from the President advising that he needed him back in Washington D.C. as soon as possible. James entered the meeting room that they had set up in to speak with Jack and Audrey, advising them of the situation and asking both of them to stay on for the further day without him, attending the cocktail party that evening that featured an important speaker and the meetings the following day. The meetings that absolutely required her father's personal attendance were out of the way already and both she and Jack confirmed that they felt confident in handling the week's remaining work themselves. James said that he would fly back to Washington D.C. immediately, saying good bye to Jack and Audrey and letting them know that he would arrange for his plane to return to bring both of them home on Friday afternoon as originally planned.

Jack and Audrey continued to work quietly together for a couple more hours after James left, finishing the day's work and getting everything prepared for Friday before calling it a day. They agreed to meet later on, after they each got ready for the evening's event so that they could take the short walk down the street together to where it was being held. After they agreed to meet in the hotel lobby at six thirty, Jack smiled at Audrey and said "I'm glad you didn't need to go back to Washington D.C. too because I definitely don't want to go to an event like tonight's on my own". Audrey smiled back at Jack and said "Yeah, same". Jack was brilliant at his job but she knew that he had a lesser enthusiasm for attending events and networking with people he didn't know and recycling the same conversation throughout the night as was common practice at these events. Audrey didn't entirely disagree with Jack. She was used to the Washington D.C. scene and knew a lot of people there which made attending events and networking more enjoyable back home but found it difficult to keep up her stamina in other cities with people she didn't know. It was an expected part of the job though and whilst she was simply used to it, she could understand that it was something Jack was still getting used to. That being said, Audrey knew that this evening's speaker was speaking about something particularly boring and was happy that Jack would be there with her. It was only a Thursday night and Audrey hoped that after listening to the speaker and networking with a few key people, they would be able to get out of there relatively early. Audrey got up to go to her room, telling Jack that she'd see him later.

As Audrey walked up to her room and started getting ready for the evening, she admitted to herself that she was excited about spending an evening with Jack alone. They wouldn't know many people at this event and she was more than happy to get to speak to Jack and spend time with him without her father, DoD colleagues or even the Washington D.C. crowd that she knew well surrounding them. Audrey had been attracted to Jack for a couple of months now. About a month ago, she had truly acknowledged her feelings and simply decided to give it time, hoping that her feelings would dissipate and that she and Jack could continue their professional relationship and friendship. However, Audrey's feelings had seemed to grow by the day and she now had little faith that she could ignore them or simply keeping hoping for them to disappear. Audrey really liked Jack, she was surprised by how much and how deep her feelings were. Audrey couldn't explain why she was so drawn to him but she was and a few days ago she had decided to give herself permission to act on those feelings if an opportune moment arose.

Audrey had made this decision for a culmination of reasons. Audrey was obviously motivated by her growing feelings for Jack but had also reached the point where even if her advances were rejected by Jack, she'd still feel better having tried to initiate something and thought that she had a better chance at moving on if she knew once and for all that it wasn't going to happen. Obviously not ideal but even that had to be better compared to her current situation where she was perpetually distracted, confused and sometimes frustrated by her feelings and the tension between them. Audrey also felt that the time was right to act on her feelings as she was now also very confident that Jack was attracted to her too. Audrey knew that she was no relationship or body language expert but there had been too many moments between them over the last couple of months that had assured her that Jack probably felt the same way she did. Provided she was right, Audrey assumed that Jack was also hoping that his feelings would disappear rather than trying to act on them, even though Audrey felt that she had dropped enough hints for Jack to conclude that she was interested in him. Audrey could understand Jack's reluctance to make the first move given that she was technically still married, they worked together and she was the boss' daughter. Given that, Audrey had come to the conclusion that it would be up to her to make the first move.

Despite her hopes, Audrey was fully prepared for this to not go as well as she dreamed of but she knew she needed to do this either way. Given her confidence that Jack liked her, she thought that if he did reject her advances it would hopefully be because of the barriers between them and not herself, which kind of made it better. Audrey was also confident that if it didn't go well, she and Jack would be able to act as if it never happened and he would continue to respect her and keep a mature, professional and friendly relationship with her. If it did go well though as she really thought it might, and Audrey felt her heart flutter at the thought, she'd finally be able to give into this connection between them that she had felt developing for so long now and who knew where things would go from there.

As much as she wanted to, Audrey was still unsure of how exactly to act on her feelings. Not only had Audrey not had to deal with first dates and the beginning of a new relationship for about ten years but she had no idea how to go about it with a colleague. Audrey had thought about talking to Jack about her feelings but that involved her being so vulnerable and she didn't want to corner Jack into an uncomfortable conversation. At the same time, she didn't feel like she could just walk into his office and ask him out on a date with no preceding conversation or context. In a perfect world, she'd opt for something seemingly more spontaneous, initiating a kiss in a private setting and seeing if he returned her advances would be ideal. The office was completely inappropriate for that though and they were always surrounded by people, including her father and colleagues when they travelled or attended events. Audrey had thought that maybe she could steal a moment with Jack at an upcoming event or maybe an unexpected moment would simply present itself to her like when Jack drove her home from a dinner a few weeks ago. The difficult thing was that those moments couldn't really be planned and she just had to hope that not only would a moment present itself but that she'd be able to recognise when it did and have the courage to follow through. Audrey wondered if a moment might arise tonight. After all, they were away from the office and alone which covered the two main principles that she had been concerned about. She just hadn't expected to do this quite so soon after she'd decided she would. Audrey didn't feel overly rushed to initiate anything with Jack but she did know that she'd need to take the moment when it presented because it could take weeks or months for another one to present and she was also worried that he'd find someone to be with any day now. She obviously thought he was gorgeous and she had heard more than one colleague at work mention his good looks and nice personality and assumed that women were expressing interest in him. Even if he did like her, he wouldn't forever. If this was what she wanted, which she did, she'd need to act as soon as she could. Half excited, half panicked at the thought of what might come, Audrey tried to relax herself as she continued getting ready. She told herself that if an opportunity presented itself, she'd take it but relaxed herself by saying that if it didn't, at least she and Jack could have a normal, professional, friendly evening together and enjoy each other's company and she could reassess from there.

Before choosing her outfit, Audrey put the finishing touches on her hair and makeup. She had spent a little more time than usual on them to ensure a natural wave in her hair, a glow to her skin, a soft pinkness in her cheeks and darker eye makeup all in an effort to exude a sexier look than normal, without being over the top of course. Audrey then turned to the few outfit choices she had brought with her. The dress code for this type of event wasn't too formal but she was definitely meant to wear something nicer than her daily business attire. Audrey settled on a black dress that showed off her body a little which was what she was going for given that she would be spending the evening with Jack but it was still classy and conservative enough for the circle that they would be mixing in. Happy with her appearance, Audrey chose some delicate, feminine jewellery and put hershoes on, grabbed her jacket and purse and headed out the door.

* * *

After nearly six months of knowing Audrey and spending a lot of time around her, Jack was still blown away by her beauty. Audrey always looked beautiful and tonight was no different. Audrey met him in the lobby just after six thirty and Jack couldn't help but let his eyes wander over her as she approached him. She was looking particularly beautiful, if he dare not say sexy. She was wearing a knee length black dress that showed off her slim figure whist accentuating her soft curves. The dress had straps that left her shoulders and some of her chest and back exposed. Jack also took in how amazing her legs looked, her beautiful blonde hair that curved over her shoulders and as she got closer noticed how beautiful her eyes looked, her lips and her smile. After all these months, Jack was still as attracted as ever to Audrey. Everything about her captivated him, not just her physical appearance. Audrey was smiling as she approached and Jack knew that she must have seen him looking her over but given the recent exchanges between them over the past couple of months, he wondered if she cared or was even pleased to have captured his attention in that way. After weeks turned into months of Jack questioning their relationship and the chemistry between them, Jack was now confident in his read on Audrey and was sure that she felt the same way about him as he did about her. Jack still didn't know what that meant for them though, him still unable to see a scenario in the near future where he could appropriately act on his feelings. Audrey's hand touched his back quickly as she reached him and asked if he was ready to go. Jack replied "Yeah I'm ready. You look beautiful by the way". Audrey smiled somewhat shyly at Jack and thanked him for his compliment before they slipped their jackets on and made their way out the door.

Jack and Audrey made relaxed, enjoyable conversation as they walked to the event. After six months of working together, not only had their professional relationship developed but so had their friendship. Jack and Audrey had always felt comfortable speaking about a range of topics, including personal topics but over the last few weeks they had definitely opened up a little more to each other, letting their personal conversions delve deeper than previously. Once they arrived at the event, things flowed easily. A lot of people sought the two of them out and Jack and Audrey completed their duty of networking and discussing their current work including the projects and strategies that they were working on. After about two hours, the speech that they had needed to be present for was over, they had networked with all of the key people they were meant to and they could see a few people start to filter out. Jack and Audrey found themselves alone, finishing their drinks and talking with each other. Although they hadn't left each other's side all night, they hadn't really spoken to each other as they had been occupied with other people and Jack was enjoying this time with her. As Audrey finished her drink, Jack asked if she wanted another but Audrey declined. Audrey looked around to confirm that they had spoken with everyone they needed to and mentioned that although the event would probably go for a while longer, they could probably leave soon if they wanted to. Jack agreed although felt sightly disappointed as he had been enjoying the last few minutes with just Audrey.

Before Jack could feel too disappointed though, Audrey said that they had barely eaten with there not being a lot of food on offer at this event and asked if Jack wanted to have dinner on the way back to the hotel. Jack must have been silent a moment too long because Audrey then started saying that they didn't have to, that Jack could of course just go back to the hotel if he wanted, all the while talking a lot quicker than she normally did. Jack looked into her eyes, smiled and said "I'd really like that". Audrey smiled back, obviously happy with his answer. Jack reminded himself that it was an entirely normal scenario for two colleagues who were also friends to have dinner together on a business trip but he couldn't help but wonder if Audrey intended for it to be more. As they made an exit Jack felt slightly confused, somewhat nervous and definitely excited by this beautiful woman he was about to have dinner with and let part of his brain race with thoughts and possibilities.

They walked back along the road that they walked down earlier, mentioning that they had walked past lots of places to eat on their way there. Just as Jack was wondering where someone like Audrey liked to eat, she pointed out a small but beautiful, cosy and authentic looking Italian restaurant, saying that despite her father enjoying fancy restaurants and her eating at them as part of work, she much preferred more casual, small, local places. That was a huge relief for Jack, who definitely wasn't about eating anywhere too fancy at least not for anything but a special occasion. Jack eagerly agreed with her choice and the two headed into the restaurant. They found themselves again comfortable in each other's presence. Spending time together was easy with plenty of respect and chemistry between them. They spoke almost exclusively about personal topics over dinner including their family, friends, hobbies, favourite sports, food and television shows, their outlook on general topics and current events and shared a few stories with each other. Jack had previously had many glimpses of the Audrey outside of work but not for as long or one on one as this. Jack found Audrey to be very relaxed, speaking openly with him and he found himself opening up to her too, as he had done before to an extent but not quite like this. Jack was struck again by how easy it was to speak about normal, happy things with Audrey and not get bogged down in the bad parts of his life. At the same time he felt he could definitely allude to or speak a little about the harder topics in his life and she simply accepted them, seemed to understand them and asked questions but sensed when to not push for more information that he wasn't ready to give.

Jack and Audrey had both worked in their current relationship status during conversation, both mentioning that they were single as such, mentioning it gently and without any weight as they were still feeling out the situation between them. They ate dinner relatively quickly but were able to enjoy themselves over a meal and a glass of wine each before heading back to their hotel. Although they both wanted their dinner to be anything but two colleagues or friends having dinner they both kept up the guise, not putting any pressure on the situation and giving themselves the option to run with the safe explanation for their dinner and relationship.

Jack had spent the evening feeling relaxed and happy with Audrey and hoped that they might get chance to spend time together like that again in the future.

* * *

Audrey's heart started to race as she and Jack left the restaurant and walked back to the hotel. Audrey had taken a step by asking Jack to dinner but she knew that she made it sound friendly and nothing more. She had relaxed into and thoroughly enjoyed her chance to spend dinner with Jack but it was over before she knew it. She wanted to put her feelings out there but didn't know what to do from here. She tried to think of possibilities as they walked back, Audrey cursing herself for not saying or doing something over dinner or as they left the restaurant. She was trying to work up the courage to do or say something, anything now but nothing seemed right and she just couldn't come up with anything. The walk back from the restaurant was only short and they didn't pause once they entered the hotel. Audrey slowed them down slightly by slipping her jacket off as they entered but they headed straight for the elevators. As they reached the elevators, Audrey realised that she could have put her hand on Jack at any time during their walk and he would have stopped, giving her his full attention or she could have asked if he wanted to get a drink after dinner or even stopped him in the lobby. There were people around now and her opportunity was over. Stepping into the elevator, she felt disappointed that she hadn't been more intentional. Their evening had been perfect and she didn't know when another one like it would pop up again. She'd have to rethink the situation yet again.

Once they were in the elevator, Jack asked her what floor she was on. Audrey replied "Eight" and Jack said "Me too". Audrey's heart started racing even faster than it had been. Right when she had thought the moment was over and she was starting to feel regretful, a second chance, perhaps an even better moment had presented. If Audrey had been asking for a sign, this had to be it and she knew she needed to follow through this time.

They reached their floor and stepped out of the elevator, both turning left. When they got to the next hallway, Jack looked to their left and said "I'm down here" and Audrey looked at a door to their right and said "I'm just there". Jack turned to face Audrey and thanked her for a nice evening, looking at her intently and smiling softly. Audrey thought "This is it". She wanted this desperately and this was the most perfect chance she could hope for. Audrey met Jack's eyes, returning his smile and longing gaze, mesmerised by his eyes staring deep into hers. Audrey quietly replied, telling Jack that she had a nice evening too and she let her right hand come up to brush against Jack's arm before she let it rest there, her fingertips moving, slowly drawing small circles against him.

The tension between them was at a new peak, their feelings for each other clear in this moment. Their bodies were close and Audrey's hand remained on Jack's arm. Audrey took a moment to be thankful that she was about Jack's height when she wore only small heels, making this all much easier. Audrey's eyes fluttered down to Jack's lips and back to his eyes again. Audrey saw no hesitation in his eyes and any remaining worries were silenced by the way Jack was looking at her. Without letting a thought dissuade her, Audrey leant in and sweetly, softly pressed her lips against Jack's. It was only quick but both felt the powerful physical sensations that such a small kiss had created. Audrey leant back slightly, keeping her hand on Jack's arm and left the next move up to him.

Audrey had moved slowly and before she kissed him and Jack had sensed what she was about to do. Part of his brain had been telling him to walk away now, that there were too many insurmountable barriers between them, that they hadn't done anything yet but that part of Jack's brain seemed to get smaller and quieter as he felt Audrey's hand on him, felt her body close to his and stared into her eyes, her look confirming that she shared the same desires as he did. In the moment that she leant in and kissed him, his thoughts were silenced and all he was focused on was her. Audrey pulled back from the kiss to gauge his reaction and although Jack could barely believe that this was happening, he was more than thankful and excited to give into the now undeniable connection between them.

Jack moved his hands up to let one rest along the side of Audrey's neck, fingertips in her hair and the other traced the outline of her opposite cheek. Audrey shifted closer to him, their bodies now closer than ever. Audrey couldn't believe how tender Jack's touch was on her skin. Jack leant towards Audrey, using his hands to tilt her face up to his and kissed her again. It was just another quick, soft kiss before Jack pulled back, looking into Audrey's eyes again to confirm one more time that this was what they both wanted. It only took a quick look to confirm before they were both closing their eyes, tilting their heads and kissing again. Neither were in any rush and they took their time to gently kiss each other's lips. Jack then kissed Audrey's bottom lip a little harder, Audrey letting out a soft moan before Jack gently touched his tongue to Audrey's lip and Audrey opened her mouth allowing their tongues to softly and slowly massage and explore each other's as the passion between them escalated.

Their hands took the opportunity to explore as they kissed too. Jack let his hands move slowly downwards, running through Audrey's hair, caressing the bare skin of her shoulders and arms and settling on her lower back. Audrey wished she had her two arms completely free but had only been able to shift her jacket and small purse to rest on left her arm so at least her hand was free, letting it simply rest on Jack's waist while her other hand had moved from his arm to his chest before coming up to stroke along his jawline to the back of his neck, caressing his neck as their kiss deepened.

In the moment they were completely unaware of time or their surroundings, overtaken by the sensation of the kiss and the closeness of their bodies. For Jack, nearly six months' of attraction had built up to this moment, never actually believing that it would come but here it was, a perfect expression of their chemistry and emotion finally able to be expressed. Audrey was more than Jack had ever imagined in this moment. She was so beautiful, soft and sensual, her hands on him felt incredible, her body pressed against his felt surreal and being so close to her was exciting. Her kisses and touches were almost intoxicating, she was an amazing kisser and Jack was simply lost in her.

Audrey also could barely believe that this was finally and actually happening after months of being attracted to Jack and imagining this moment. The way Jack was kissing her confirmed that he felt the same way she did and the moment couldn't be more perfect. Jack was a better kisser than she had even imagined, and she had imagined him to be an excellent kisser. His soft lips and tongue were touching and moving against hers perfectly, keeping a slow and gentle rhythm, causing her to let out another quiet moan. The kiss itself felt nothing short of amazing and the journey of Jack's hands on her body had heightened every feeling and sensation she was experiencing. Jack had settled his hands on her lower back and she enjoyed being held by his strong, safe, warm, masculine arms as they continued to kiss. Audrey couldn't help but revel in the happiness and physical sensations of the moment, sure that she had never kissed or been kissed like this, with such build up and passion.

They alternated between softer kisses, deeper kisses and gently letting their lips graze each other's before they finally broke. They remained close though, letting their noses brush against each other's as their foreheads came to rest together. Jack let out a heavy breath and his hands continued to caress Audrey's lower back as her right hand did the same to the back of his neck and she held his body close to hers with her other hand. Their eyes finally opened, gazing at each other and smiling, basking the moment of finally being so close and the happiness of having their feelings reciprocated by the other.

With a growing smile, Jack said "I've wanted to do that for a long time".

Audrey laughed and said "Me too".

Jack pulled back, brought his hands up again and stroked her face gently before he said "Good night Audrey" and kissed her on the cheek.

"Good night Jack" she replied before stepping away from him and walking only a few steps to her hotel room door. Audrey watched Jack walk down the hall to his own room for a few seconds, with a smile on her face before she entered her own. Audrey closed the door and stood quietly for a moment, feeling almost lightheaded from everything she had just felt, the anticipation, the excitement, the happiness and smiled and the thought of what was to come.


	6. Chapter 6

**October 2004**

 _Takes place the day after Chapter 5_

Jack awoke a few minutes before his alarm for the day went off, his body clock trained to wake him up at the right time each morning. Instead of getting out of bed straight away as he usually did, he took a moment to simply lay in bed feeling happiness and excitement wash over him all again. Jack couldn't remember the last time he woke up feeling like this and knew that it was all due to that incredible kiss he had shared last night with an amazing, beautiful woman, a moment that he kept replaying in his mind as well as the long awaited confirmation that she liked him as much as he liked her, or so he concluded from the tender but passionate way she had kissed him last night.

Despite the happiness, Jack of course hadn't forgotten about the numerous obstacles between Audrey and himself and wondered if Audrey had really thought them through before she kissed him. Jack had suspected that Audrey had feelings for him for a couple of months now but had decided that despite that, he was still in no position to initiate anything with his still married colleague and boss' daughter. Jack had told himself that if Audrey initiated something, that could change things but he had never really believed that she would. As suspected, the kiss had changed everything for him. The kiss had felt so right, so natural, simply perfect and had only heightened his feelings for her. Now that their feelings for each other were out in the open, Jack was hopeful that they could make it work.

Jack at least would be willing to talk about things and find ways to get around the obstacles between them if it meant being with Audrey and he hoped that Audrey shared that desire. Jack knew Audrey well enough by now to assume that she wouldn't have randomly or easily decided to kiss him unless she had thought it out and was confident in her feelings and likely outcome of her decision but he knew that he couldn't just assume that and would need to speak with her about all of this. There was a lot to talk about but Jack remained wearily hopeful. Jack also knew that getting over Audrey would be a million times more difficult than it had been now that he knew she liked him and Jack was sure that any further attempts at getting over her would be near pointless. Jack hoped that the outcome of their conversation wouldn't result in that. Jack quickly got himself ready for the day and headed downstairs to the meeting room, wondering if Audrey would already be up and working at this early hour.

As Jack entered the meeting room downstairs he couldn't help but smile when he saw Audrey. If it was possible, he found himself thinking that she looked more beautiful than ever. Jack said "Good Morning" as he walked over to her. Audrey replied with "Morning" and returned his smile, neither of them able to hide their happiness after last night. Things were off to as good of a start as Jack could have hoped for.

Jack sat down in the seat closest to Audrey and softly said "I know we're busy today but let's talk later".

Audrey replied with "I agree, sounds good" but as she said the words, found herself hoping that she hadn't misunderstood and that Jack didn't want to talk because he regretted what happened between them. It didn't look like he regretted it but Audrey couldn't help but feel insecure for a moment. "Do you regret what happened last night?" Audrey asked gently.

Jack had seen Audrey's expression change from the same happiness he was expressing to nervousness. As soon as she asked him her question, he answered with a firm "No". Jack let his hand come to rest on Audrey's knee. Audrey smiled at this so Jack let his hand remain there, rubbing her knee gently. Jack met Audrey's eyes with a warmth that Audrey hadn't quite seen before and added "Not at all, not unless you do. I just think we should talk".

Audrey sighed with relief and moved her hand down to hold Jack's hand that had been tenderly touching her. Audrey said "Good. I don't regret it either. Let's talk this evening".

Jack simply said "Ok". They took a moment to enjoy their close contact. Satisfied for now with how they were leaving things between them, Jack disengaged from Audrey and scooted down the table a little before starting his own work for the day.

* * *

As expected, their day was very busy. Jack and Audrey attended a few final meetings in the morning and flew back to Washington D.C. after lunch. They had been able to get a lot of work done on the plane but still had to head back to the office to complete a final few hours of work in order to wrap up after their time in Chicago and brief the Secretary of Defence on the meetings that they attended earlier that day. Jack and Audrey kept professional and friendly throughout the day, as they always had and both did their best to block any personal thoughts about each other for the time being.

James left the office at around seven o'clock and popped into Audrey's office on his way out to tell her to head home soon after such a busy week and enjoy her weekend. Audrey then heard her father walk a bit further down the hall and tell Jack something similar. Not long after, Audrey reached a point where most of her work was finished and her less urgent tasks that she hadn't got to yet could be left for Monday. Audrey then walked down the hall and into Jack's office.

"Hey" Audrey said in a sweet tone laced with something that Jack hadn't quite heard in her voice before, excitement maybe or affection. He wasn't sure but he liked it.

"Hey" Jack replied with a smile.

"Almost done?" Audrey asked.

"Yeah, more or less. The rest can wait until Monday. You?" Jack replied.

"Same" Audrey said, smiling at him.

Jack pushed back from his desk a little and turned his whole attention to Audrey. "So" Jack said, unsure exactly what to say but still smiling at her.

"Let's not talk here" Audrey said as she looked around the office. She followed with "Do you have any plans tonight?"

"No."

"Want to go and get a drink?"

"I would love to."

"Good. I'll get my things and then let's go" Audrey said before turning and heading out of Jack's office.

A couple of minutes later Audrey reappeared at Jack's office door with her coat on, holding her handbag and ready to leave the office. Jack had already shut his computer down and stood up to put his coat on and grab his briefcase. Jack felt that happy feeling again, feeling lucky to be leaving the office with Audrey and on his way to spend the evening with her. Jack walked towards Audrey, turning the lights off and closing his office door on his way. As he reached Audrey he let his hand rest on her lower back for a moment. Their bodies were close and they smiled at each other before they walked towards the elevator and made their way out of the office.

* * *

There were plenty of bars and restaurants a short walk from the office and Jack and Audrey found a place that Audrey said she had been to a few times and liked. It was a small wine bar and restaurant that was beautiful but relaxed and not too crowded or noisy. Jack and Audrey took a table inside by a window, in a little nook that gave them the privacy they wanted. The restaurant was warm, cosy and the lights were dimmed. They had a nice view of the street filled with lots of people walking by enjoying their Friday night and other diners sitting outside, eating and drinking by the warmth and glow of the outdoor heaters. Both Jack and Audrey were happy to finally be on a date together, each of them gazing across the table at each other and the restaurant provided them with the perfect atmosphere for their evening, beautiful, comfortable but romantic all at the same time.

The waiter took their order, Jack ordering beer and Audrey a glass of wine to begin with. Jack and Audrey spoke comfortably about their usual topics until their drinks came. Once arrived and they had taken a sip, they looked at each other, ready to talk but neither quite sure where to begin.

Jack thought that he should jump in and say something. He was nervous. As much as he wanted this with Audrey and as much as he had let himself give into that want and imagine possibilities over the last day, there was a lot between them to discuss and figure out. Jack wished that he and Audrey could just go on a normal first date but given the situation between them, they both knew this conversation needed to be had before anything further happened. Jack thought that if Audrey had been brave enough to kiss him last night then he could start this conversation. Jack worked up the courage to start and simply said "So, like I said, I had been wanting to kiss you for a long time and don't regret last night at all. I like you a lot Audrey".

Audrey smiled and blushed a little, reaching across the table to hold Jack's hand. He gave her hand a little squeeze and she replied "I really like you too Jack and have for a while". They both smiled wider and a little more sheepishly at each other as she admitted this. "I tried to get over my feelings for you because we work together among other complications but I wasn't able to. I'm happy that we kissed last night and that we're having this conversation now".

"I had a similar experience with trying to get over my feelings for you" Jack said and they laughed softly. "But things are complicated which is why I never acted on my feelings for you, no matter how much I wanted to" Jack continued.

"Complicated as in this can't happen or complicated as in if we talk about things, you would be willing to give us a chance?"

"I wouldn't have kissed you back or be sitting here if I wasn't willing to give us a chance. My feelings for you aren't complicated and I think we could make this work if we talk about things and go slowly. Are you willing to give us a chance?"

"Yes" Audrey replied. Audrey could see Jack struggling to get his next words out. It was her turn to squeeze his hand, encouraging him to say what he wanted to say.

"Look Audrey, I'm going to be completely honest with you. I want nothing more than to be in a happy and loving relationship with someone I care about. My wife Teri died over five years ago and I'm ready to move on, I have been for a while but it's still difficult. I've had women express interest and dated a little over the years but nothing serious. I guess I wasn't ready or I hadn't met the right person, I don't really know. I haven't had the easiest life and then with what happened to Teri on top of it, despite wanting a relationship I haven't been interested dating someone I don't trust or feel connected to. I owe it to Teri if not myself to pursue a relationship with someone special. I always thought that when I met that person, it would just feel right and I have been happy to wait for that to happen".

Audrey was touched by the way Jack was opening up to her. It was obviously difficult for him to say all of this and she was honoured that Jack was trusting her. Audrey kept looking into Jack's eyes and gently rubbed circles his hand with her thumb, encouraging him to continue. "I can't promise that I'd be easy to date or be in a relationship with if that's where we end up. I struggle with opening up to people on a deeper level. I didn't even do that with my wife and I have only had more struggles since then. I don't know what lies ahead for me despite how I feel about you, my intentions and what I ultimately want. I trust you and care about you and I would like to give this a chance, to date you with the best of intentions provided that's also what you want. If it's not, that's okay. I just think you should know up front that I have some things I'm working through and that I have things that I'll always be working through. This might not be as easy as you might think or as much as you or I would like to hope".

Audrey took a moment to process everything Jack had said. Not all of it was news to her as she thought she had come to know and understand Jack if only a little over the last six months. If anything, his openness and vulnerability had only made her feel more drawn to him. Audrey wanted to put him at ease and felt it was fair that she opened up to him too. "I appreciate you sharing that with me. It doesn't change the way I feel about you though or change the fact that I want to date you too, also with the best of intentions". Jack and Audrey quietly laughed, as she had purposely copied what he said about intentions. Audrey then said "I really like you Jack and we can take things slow, no pressure".

Audrey's response was everything Jack had wanted to hear. He thought that his spiel might have changed her mind but given Audrey's knowledge of his previous job both from her professional experience and small things Jack had said to her over the last six months paired with her simply already knowing him as a colleague and friend, she probably anticipated some of those issues anyway.

Audrey continued talking "I'm feeling pretty vulnerable at this point in my life too. I just ended my marriage and I was very unhappy in that marriage for a long time before it ended. Even though I'm happy with the decision to separate and know that it's the right thing for me, it's still scary to be on my own when I was with the same man for ten years. I was only twenty five when we got together which seems so young looking back on it and I barely remember how to date. Until the last few months or so I never thought I'd be dating again in my life. I don't know if I should try to be single for a certain amount of time. I don't really know anything about navigating this part of my life but what I do know is that I like you and feel something between us. It seems like you feel the same and we'll work through whatever issues either of us have".

Audrey saw Jack avert his eyes a little and slowly said "Audrey, I know you're separated but I was separated once. I started seeing someone amid my separation and deeply regretted it when my wife and I got back together. I don't want you to have that same regret."

"Jack, stop."

Jack looked back to Audrey, not saying anything.

"Did you love your wife at the time?" Audrey asked.

"Yes."

"Well that's the difference. I don't love Paul anymore. I don't hate him either, our marriage just stopped working and we fell out of love. This isn't the time or place to get into all the negative things that happened between us. I guess there is always time to talk further in the future if you want to hear more but believe me when I say that my marriage is over." Audrey tilted her head and moved her hand, now caressing Jack's wrist and forearm as she said "This seems right. I want to give us a chance".

"Ok. Me too." Jack said as he smiled, seeming to accept her statement as he enjoyed Audrey's touch.

"What about work?" Jack asked.

"Well" Audrey started.

"And your dad?" Jack interjected with a laugh.

Audrey laughed too and continued "Let's obviously keep it strictly professional at work, like it has always been. Outside of work, we'll start slow with no pressure. We can just start by spending some time together. I don't want to ruin our working relationship but this is worth taking a chance on for me. Besides, if we go slow and keep communicating, if we find that we don't work out like we thought, we can end it and be mature adults and continue to work together as we always did. On the other hand though, if it works out great, which I hope it does and think it might, there is still no loss in going slow and I'm sure that in the future, we'd only be happier and more confident in our relationship because of it".

Jack smiled and said "I agree. That sounds good. This is worth taking a chance on for me too. I wouldn't be risking dating a colleague let alone the boss' daughter if I didn't like you a lot and see us working together."

Audrey laughed and said "Yeah, sorry about being the boss' daughter".

Jack smiled and said "It's ok. I guess my life was missing some of the riskiness it used to have. This might help satisfy that need". Jack was only half joking but they both smiled at his comment.

Audrey started speaking, seeming unsure of herself "Sorry if that was too much for you or sounded too long term. I'm definitely not pushing us into anything or trying to make any grand plans."

It was Jack's turn to tell Audrey to stop talking this time and said "It's ok. I agree. It's awkward to discuss and make decisions like this on the first date but we both know that given our circumstances, we needed to talk about these things before we start dating."

Audrey smiled and said "Yeah, it hasn't been that awkward though has it?"

"No" Jack laughed.

They were quiet for a moment, each thinking maybe this conversation was over before Jack said "And we won't breathe a word of this to your dad."

Audrey replied "Oh absolutely not."

"What if he finds out?"

"Why would he, we'll keep professional at work."

"You never know, he or someone else could see something or pick up on something, even outside of work. Unless you want to date completely in secret… You never know, things happen."

"I don't want to date in secret, I just want to keep it from my dad" Audrey said, taking a moment to look into Jack's eyes. "Dad wouldn't approve me dating anyone whilst I'm still technically married but it isn't up to him and I don't think we're doing anything wrong. Obviously it wouldn't be ideal if he found out but if we're discrete I think the chances of that happening are low. I'm prepared to deal with it if it happens though. I'm sure we could work it out together if he found out and dad thinks highly of you anyway, I think he'd get over it quickly enough".

Jack nodded and said "Ok".

"Ok."

"You're sure?"

"Yes, you?"

"Yes."

Jack and Audrey unravelled their hands and returned to their drinks, smiling softly at each other. Although the conversation had been a little awkward, both Jack and Audrey were relieved that their feelings were out there, happy that the other felt the same way about them and confident in their plan moving forwards. It felt good to know how the other felt and their intentions which was almost never clear when two people started to date. Jack and Audrey ordered dinner and the mood relaxed again as they ate, they smiled and talked easily throughout dinner, with a few comfortable quiet moments here and there. Even though the mood had settled after their conversation, it still didn't feel quite like a first date. Obviously it helped that they had known each other for six months and had been able to build a not only a strong working relationship but a friendship over that time. Jack and Audrey already knew each other, liked and trusted each other, felt comfortable with each other and were happy to open up to each other at least on some level making their date feel like they were getting to know a friend more intimately rather than feeling like they were on a romantic job interview as many first dates could feel like.

After dinner the dessert menu arrived and Audrey feigned seriousness when they looked at menu, telling Jack that there was something important that she needed to tell him. That thing happened to be that she really loved ordering dessert and really loved chocolate. Jack had laughed at this, a real and genuine laugh. Audrey was beautiful and funny and even animated in this setting and it felt so good to be with her like this. Audrey realised that she had never seen Jack laugh like that before. He had of course smiled and laughed with her before but it was always subtle, soft. She smiled at him and said "You have a great laugh. You should laugh more".

Jack smiled back at her and said "You might have to make me laugh".

Audrey replied "I can try to do that", the affection in her eyes making Jack feel wanted and cared for in a way he hadn't felt in a long time.

A couple of hours seemed to pass quickly and before they knew it, they were finishing coffee and sharing dessert which of course had featured chocolate. Jack paid the bill and Audrey didn't make a fuss about paying. She simply thanked Jack for dinner, knowing that he wouldn't let her pay anyway and knowing that she'd have a chance to make it up to him along the way, anticipating many more dates like this one.

* * *

Jack and Audrey walked back to the office carpark together, the pleasure of each other's company even in such a small, insignificant moment not lost on either of them. As they were walking, Audrey moved closer to Jack and for a couple of seconds wrapped her hand around his arm as she tipped her head against his shoulder and said "I'm glad we're doing this". As she let him go, Jack rubbed her back and said "Same". They tilted their heads to look into each other's eyes, their gaze confirming how happy they were.

Once they got to Audrey's car, Jack of course walking her there, they turned to face each other. Jack stepped close to Audrey and brought his hands up to frame her face, gently letting his fingers trace the outline of her cheeks and jaw. Audrey placed one of her hands tenderly on Jack's chest and let the back of her fingers caress the side of his face like he was doing to her. They smiled at each other before Jack's hands moved slightly backwards so that his fingertips rested in Audrey's hair and he leant in and softly kissed her. Just like the previous night, they kissed for a few moments, the passion between them growing by the second. The kiss felt as good as it did the previous night, maybe even better now that there was no hesitancy or question between them. Audrey thought that she could stand there kissing Jack forever, savouring the closeness of his body and his lips against hers. Jack was still struggling to shake the surreal, dreamlike feeling he had kissing Audrey, her touch and kiss being more amazing than he had dreamed of and even exceeding his memories of their kiss a mere day ago. It has been a long time since either felt so wanted and it felt so good to feel desired by each other in the moment.

Jack and Audrey pulled apart from their kiss to say good night to each other. Jack asked Audrey if he could see her over the weekend and Audrey happily said "Of course, I'd like that". Audrey said that she'd call Jack on Saturday after they finally had some well needed sleep.

Before they let go of each other they shared one more gentle kiss and Jack then tenderly kissed Audrey's cheek which somehow made her heart flutter as much as their previous, more passionate kiss had and she let her lips curl into a smile at this.

* * *

Jack had felt happy the whole drive home and when he entered his apartment collapsed onto the lounge to smile to himself and think for a moment. In only a matter of days, everything that Jack had hoped for but never dreamed would happen had actually happened. Jack had been telling the raw truth when he told Audrey that he wanted nothing more than to be in a happy and loving relationship with someone he cared about. Over the last few years Jack had witnessed people around him with loving partners, desperately craving the same but the impossibilities of his job plus his own personal reasons had made it impossible for him. Jack had prioritised work whilst letting his personal life crash and burn and had hoped that moving to Washington D.C. would put him in a position where having a relationship could be a reality. Jack liked and cared about Audrey more than he could explain and he was so happy that he was taking this step with her. She was beautiful, kind, funny, smart and understood him. Jack couldn't want anything else. Although it was only early, Audrey was amazing and made Jack feel everything he needed to feel to know that she could be the right person for him and that there was potential for this to be something deep and real.

Jack was also happy that Audrey was willing to take this slowly, for him and for herself. Jack knew that he had a long way to go in terms of himself as a person and himself in a relationship and still had doubts about whether he could really open up to someone or love someone the way he had loved Teri but Jack desperately wanted to try. Audrey hadn't seemed bothered when Jack touched on some of his issues. She was aware of them and seemed ready and happy to walk down this path with him. Jack hoped and was quietly confident that their dating would or could turn into a relationship in the future and that they would be able to have a real, loving relationship where he was able to make Audrey happy.

A few days ago Jack had left his apartment lonely with unrelenting infatuation and hopes of a relationship that would likely never come to be and now he returned home after being on two dates with Audrey, getting to kiss her, hold her, smile and make her smile and turns out that she wanted everything he did too. It was only early days but Jack knew that he and Audrey really liked each other and saw this working out, they wouldn't be in this position where they were risking it all if they didn't. Jack couldn't help but smile and have hopeful heart at everything that the future could and hopefully would hold. For the first time in a long time, Jack felt truly content, hopeful and even happy thinking about his life and what was to come.


	7. Chapter 7

_Hi all, I know I keep saying it but thank you again for reading and reviewing. I am having fun with finally putting my thoughts about Jack and Audrey's relationship into words but it is even more fun when I can see people following along and enjoying it too. I originally thought that I would combine the previous, this and the next chapter but once I started writing I wanted to delve further into the events and emotions that marked the beginning of their relationship. I like this character development/exploring emotions thing but let me know if you find it boring._

 _Anyway, onto the next chapter. Jack and Audrey go on a date in this chapter. I'm not exactly sure what people working in high ranking federal positions like Audrey and Jack (at this stage in his life) do for dates and whether/how this differs from us regular people but I can't picture Jack doing anything too "fancy" at least not for a special occasion. Of course I picture them going on nice, beautiful and romantic dates but nothing too formal or extravagant. I have always imagined that away from work they were very "real" or "normal" people and worked this way as a couple, being relaxed with each other, not needing to do anything too special and just enjoying each other's company. Thoughts on this are welcome if anyone agrees or disagrees. I love hearing people's take on their relationship so please feel free to let me know any thoughts on what I've written or what I haven't, I really do love it!_

 _As for where they are at in this chapter, I have always imagined that once Jack and Audrey's feelings were out there, despite saying that they wanted to take their relationship slowly and maybe keeping that up on the outside, they would have started falling for each other much quicker than expected. I think that they would have made each other happy and really cared for each other from the beginning and that both had a quiet confidence that things would work out between them. Again, thoughts on this welcome if you agree, disagree or have any thoughts in general!_

* * *

 **November 2004**

Audrey woke up to a beautiful Sunday morning. November had already brought them cold and rainy weather and today was a nice change. Although it was still a little chilly, there was hardly a cloud in the sky and the sun was shining. Audrey was so content with her life at the moment and the beautiful day complimented her mood perfectly. Audrey had been busy on Saturday, attending her cousin's baby shower during the day and attending a friend's birthday dinner in the evening. She had enjoyed herself but was looking forward to finally relaxing today, getting herself organised for another busy week ahead and of course seeing Jack later. Audrey felt silly admitting it but she had already started to miss him even though they had only spent a day apart.

Since their first date a few weeks ago, Jack and Audrey had been having dinner together after work a couple of times a week and had seen each other every weekend. As Audrey had predicted, they were good together and she was happy with how things were progressing between them. Both Audrey and Jack were both in transition periods of their lives and were feeling vulnerable and she was happy that they had been on the same page when it came to agreeing to take their relationship slowly, taking their time before they introduced any new pressures or progressed to new stages of their relationship. Despite their new relationship and taking things slowly though, Audrey's feelings for Jack were deepening quickly. Audrey felt very connected to him and trusted him. Although she was surprised by how quick her feelings were deepening, she was truthfully happy about it and felt confident in their future as a couple.

A few months ago when leaving Paul, Audrey had thought about the prospect of dating again and had been worried and anxious about it for so many reasons. First of all, Audrey was used to second guessing people's interest in her, not only in a dating context but even friendships as she had met many people over the years who were more interested in her father and potential political connections than herself and had simply put effort into getting to know her to access these. Audrey had also witnessed many men over the years looking simply for a trophy wife or a purely physical relationship, neither of which Audrey had wanted for her future. Beyond that, even if she met someone she liked and trusted, Audrey had simply felt nervous about the idea of dating and opening up to someone new particularly as she was so out of practice. After a few weeks of dating Jack though Audrey was pleasantly surprised to admit that she had been wrong to worry so much.

To start, Jack had been upfront with his feelings for Audrey which she had found attractive in itself as it was attractive and assuring that a man was able to tell a woman how he felt about her. So far, Jack had also lived up to the promise he made her on their first date, to date her with the best of intentions. Jack treated Audrey incredibly well and happily showed her plenty of genuine affection and attention and left her no doubt that Jack was interested in and liked her for who she was. Audrey felt that she was able to be herself around Jack too. Whilst she was obviously trying to impress him, it was quietly, calmly, naturally as Jack really did seem to like her for her.

Audrey felt that Jack felt the same way and suspected that this was one of the reasons that they had settled into their relationship so easily and quickly. Other factors were probably their existing relationship before they started dating, the build up to finally be together, their open communication with each other from the beginning, their age and simply who they were as people providing a maturity to the relationship, the gamble they were taking on their relationship proving their feelings and probably a bunch of other factors but whatever the reasons, Audrey felt very comfortable and secure with Jack and didn't feel nervous or the need to do or act in any way other than being herself. Of course there were some shy moments and some moments where her heart fluttered inexplicably with new things being navigated at the beginning of their relationship but she had settled into Jack, into the idea of them so simply and felt that he had done the same with her.

Jack and Audrey had agreed to have dinner together this Sunday evening but as she looked out at the beautiful day, Audrey decided to call Jack and ask if he wanted to meet earlier to take advantage of the weather, thinking that their dinner could be exchanged for coffee, late lunch or an afternoon beer. Audrey thought that Jack could come over if he was happy to and they could then decide what they wanted to do as there were lots of nice places near her townhouse, something that Audrey had taken advantage of since living in Alexandria. Audrey also liked this idea as she'd also get to see Jack sooner and hopefully for longer. Audrey was about to call Jack before thinking that he might still be asleep and sent a text message instead. Jack called her back almost straight away. They sweetly said "Morning" to each other and asked how each of their Saturdays had been, talking for a few minutes before discussing their plans for later. Jack was more than happy with Audrey's revised plan. Audrey was looking forward to their change in plans not only for the weather but she thought it would be nice to spend time during the day with Jack and do something a little different to what they had done on their dinner dates so far.

* * *

At around three o'clock Jack knocked on Audrey's door. Audrey answered with a smile. Jack hadn't seen Audrey look so casual before. Audrey's hair was down, falling in its natural wave and she was wearing casual clothes, looking gorgeous as ever. Despite feeling comfortable with each other, these moments were still so new to them and the simple sight of each other like just now could make their hearts flutter. They shared a quick kiss, relaxing into each other and Audrey invited Jack inside. Jack was holding a beautiful bunch of flowers that he gave Audrey with a soft smile as he stepped into her house.

"What are these for?" Audrey asked.

"I thought you would like them" Jack replied.

Audrey smiled at Jack's simple response. She couldn't remember the last time a man had bought her flowers for no reason. They were stunning too, light peach coloured roses mixed with a few white roses and other white flowers. Audrey said "Thank you" then wrapped her arm around Jack's neck and kissed him again, lingering on his lips for a little longer than the previous kiss. It was a small gesture and she was incredibly appreciative but somehow not surprised. Jack always treated her well and was a perfect gentleman. He was respectful of her and kind and gentle and would often find ways to display his care and affection. Jack would often put his arm around Audrey or hold her hand if they were walking at night, he would always walk her to her door be it car, hotel or home, he would always kiss her intently, kiss her forehead, run his fingers through her hair and tell her how beautiful she was. Jack obviously bought her flowers because he cared and wanted to show it and there was no further explanation needed. Audrey suspected that Jack didn't trust or get into relationships or even friendships easily but when he did, he was all in, truly caring for the other person and treating them in the most respectful, loving, gentle way he knew possible.

Jack followed Audrey into the living room and kitchen where she found a vase, filled it with water and placed the flowers inside, telling Jack that they were beautiful. Jack took a moment to look around Audrey's house. He had been here before but only to pick her up or drop her home, he hadn't been in properly. He liked it though. It was charming, not too modern but fresh and beautiful, light and cosy and he felt good here plus there was a great scent filling the house. Audrey thanked Jack again for the flowers as she gathered her things ready to leave for the afternoon.

Audrey suggested that they set out on foot from her house as she lived close to a lot of cafes, bars and restaurants. Jack agreed, mentioning that he hadn't really had the chance to explore this part or many parts of the city since moving here. Jack and Audrey set off from Audrey's house, Audrey giving Jack her version of an Alexandria tour and telling him that she thought it was a beautiful neighbourhood. Audrey pointed out a few buildings, streets, parks, shops, cafes and restaurants as they walked and she took him on a couple of detours. Alexandria was historic and beautiful and Jack was enjoying this chance to see this area better and spend time with Audrey. Audrey pointed out one café in particular that apparently made the most delicious, fresh choc chip blueberry muffins and excellent coffee, Audrey guiltily but jokingly saying that she had had the muffins for breakfast the majority of weekends since she moved to Alexandria. Both Jack and Audrey mentioned the nice sunshine multiple times, although being with each other was probably the main contributor to their warm and happy feeling. Jack told Audrey that he had lived in California his whole life and didn't know how to deal with rain, clouds, cold and impending snow.

They must have walked for nearly an hour although it seemed like only minutes before they reached the waterfront. They walked along the water for a little while before Audrey pointed out a particular restaurant and bar.

"You like beer right?" Audrey asked.

Jack replied "Of course".

Audrey then told Jack that this place stocked some locally made beers that you couldn't buy or find many places and Audrey asked if Jack wanted to have a drink. Jack happily agreed. They tried a couple of different beers at the bar, both liking the same beer the best. They ordered two and went to sit outdoors. It wasn't that cold and the outdoor heaters were also on low heat, making the temperature feel very comfortable. Jack and Audrey sat beside each other on a lounge seat, both looking at the river. Jack couldn't think of anything better than finishing this sunny Sunday afternoon with a good beer and a beautiful woman and thought for a moment how lucky he was. Over the next hour or so they enjoyed the beer, view, easy conversation and simply each other's company as the sun disappeared.

"I never knew you liked beer" Jack said.

"It isn't my favourite but every now and then I'm in the mood for it" Audrey replied.

"Do you want another?" Jack asked.

"Hmm I'm getting kind of hungry".

"Same. Should we get dinner soon then?"

"How do you feel about having dinner at home?"

"Good".

"Sure? I just feel like I've eaten out so much lately and it's great and all but I am kind of craving something a bit on the healthier side, home cooked you know".

"I know what you mean, that sounds great" Jack said. Jack related to what she was saying a lot. He had never eaten out so much in his life as the past few weeks. There were a lot of lunches and dinners as part of work, a lot of travel meaning restaurant food and he had been having dinner out with Audrey a few times a week too. Jack liked a good meal out but also appreciated a nice home cooked meal.

"Let's go" Audrey said as she rubbed Jack's knee.

The two walked back to Audrey's house. Audrey headed for the kitchen as they entered and told Jack to sit down at one of his counter stools and make himself at home.

"So, I actually went grocery shopping this morning and made aubergine lasagne" Audrey said as she opened the refrigerator. Audrey pulled a dish out of the refrigerator as she continued "I'm so short for time during the week, we have the same schedule so you know what I mean, so I like to cook something on the weekend to have in for the next few days." Audrey pulled the cover off the dish and asked "Do you like aubergine? Please tell me if you don't, I have plenty of other food in and can make something else".

Audrey was talking a lot, she obviously wanted Jack to like whatever she made but Jack wasn't lying when he said "That looks amazing". Jack had never really thought about whether Audrey would be a good cook or not but his first look at her cooking looked great.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Honestly Audrey, it looks really good."

"Ok. I'll make a salad too."

Audrey put the lasagne in the oven to heat up as she got out a few vegetables and started making a salad.

"Can I help?" Jack asked.

"You can help by sitting here and talking to me."

"Please let me do something."

"No, it's pretty much made. Please let me make dinner for you" Audrey said laughing a little.

Jack raised his eyebrows.

"You can get us a drink if you insist on doing something."

"Ok, what do you want?"

"There's wine in the fridge."

Jack opened the fridge and poured two glasses of wine.

Audrey quickly threw together a salad and made a balsamic dressing with ease. The lasagne took a while to heat up so Audrey took a seat beside Jack at the counter and they just talked. Audrey was happy to have Jack in her house and thought that she could get used to these kinds of dates and having him around just as Jack was thinking how comfortable and at home he felt here with Audrey.

Once dinner was ready, Audrey put the lasagne and salad on plates for each of them. Jack got off his chair and walked up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. Jack kissed Audrey's shoulder and leant his head gently against hers. Audrey placed her hands over Jack's and let her eyes close for a second as she enjoyed the moment.

"Smells good" Jack said as he disengaged from Audrey. They took their plates and drinks over to the dining table to eat. Audrey sat at the head of the table and Jack sat at the seat adjacent to her so that they were close.

Once they started eating Jack was even more impressed with Audrey's cooking. He could taste a lot of great flavours, oregano and basil and the lasagne had the perfect amount of cheese, not too much but just enough to compliment the meal and make it one of the best meals Jack had ever had. Even the salad and salad dressing were delicious. Jack had missed a woman's cooking, although Audrey was a better cook than most women that had cooked for him before.

"This is delicious Audrey, you never mentioned being a great cook."

Audrey laughed "I'm not, I have a few go to meals and that's about it."

"This is honestly amazing, I bet whatever else you make is too."

"You might have to come over for dinner more to find out."

"Fine by me."

"And you might also have to cook me dinner one night" Audrey said smiling.

"I can try, you might regret it though."

Audrey nudged Jack's arm and laughed.

Jack adored this light, relaxed side to Audrey that he had gotten to know. Jack hadn't thought that dating would be so fun and exciting given all of his hang ups but Audrey was warm to be around and her presence made him relax and feel happy. Audrey herself continued to impress Jack too with him thinking she was more interesting, amazing and beautiful every time he learnt something new about her or experienced something new with her.

After dinner Jack got up to clear their plates and clean up the kitchen, not that there was much mess. Audrey went to stand up too but he gently pushed her shoulders down and told her to stay put. Jack rubbed Audrey's shoulders and arms and told her that he wanted to clean up after she made a beautiful dinner. Audrey smiled and said "Thanks". Jack loaded the dishwasher and cleaned up as he kept talking to Audrey and was done in only a few minutes.

Audrey stood up as Jack walked back to the table and put her arms around his neck as he got close. Jack put his arms around Audrey's back and Audrey sighed as Jack started delicately rubbing her back. They leant in and kissed each other softly. Audrey stroked Jack's face before wrapping her arms around him again, lower on his back this time as she pulled Jack against her, nestling into his neck and shoulder. Jack let one of his hands leave Audrey's back to come up and rest on her head, holding her against him. They stood like that for a while, enjoying being so close. Jack wasn't sure if he should say that he should go or if he should stay longer. They had eaten dinner earlier than usual so it wasn't late and he wanted to stay longer with Audrey but he didn't want to intrude on her space or seem that he was suggesting he stay the night as they had agreed to take their relationship slow and weren't ready for that. Almost as if she had read his mind Audrey asked "Do you want to stay a bit longer?"

"Yes" Jack said as he kissed her cheek.

Audrey filled their wine glasses up just a little and said "Come on" as she led him into the living room.

Jack stopped to look at some of the photographs Audrey had on display. There were some more recent photographs, one candid shot in particular caught Jack's attention. It was of Audrey as a bridesmaid with two friends, another bridesmaid and the bride. Jack told Audrey how beautiful she looked in the photograph. There were some older photographs too that Jack smiled at tenderly including a photograph of Audrey as a small child with her parents.

"Is this your mother?" Jack asked.

"Yeah" Audrey said. Audrey had told Jack that her mother died when she was young but he didn't know anything more.

"You look like her" Jack said, still looking at the photograph.

"I know". Audrey smiled fondly at the photograph before her smile turned sad as she started to feel emotional. Although it was a long time ago and Audrey had talked about her mother with plenty of people, every now and then she'd be hit with a wave of emotion just like now.

The sadness in her smile didn't go unnoticed by Jack and he said "Sorry, I didn't meant to upset you".

"No, it's fine. I'm usually fine, I just get emotional about it sometimes."

Jack put an arm around Audrey. He knew what she meant. He knew that even old feelings which had been thought about, worked through and compartmentalised could still cause fresh emotions. Audrey leant into Jack a little but kept looking at the photograph.

Jack didn't pry but Audrey continued "She died when I was nine. My brother was only two."

Jack rubbed her back, unsure what to say, unsure if Audrey wanted to keep talking. Jack was happy when she continued.

"It was hard on all of us, me, Richard, dad".

"I didn't realise you were so young, I'm sorry" Jack said and kissed her forehead. Jack also had the quick thought that maybe James understood him better than he had ever let on.

"Thanks. It's okay. It was a long time ago and we're obviously fine. I've always felt her absence throughout my life, not only in the big moments you know like graduating from college or getting married but sometimes it's the small moments that really hit me. Sometimes something will happen, it doesn't have to be anything big. It could be eating a great piece of cake, going on a fun vacation or receiving a beautiful bunch of flowers" Audrey smiling as she tilted her head towards the flowers Jack had bought her "and I'll have this thought that I'd like to tell my mum about it. I don't know if that makes sense but I miss her in so many small and unexpected moments. Then I wonder about who she was, whether we would have even liked the same food, vacations and flowers or would we have been opposites? I didn't get the chance to learn those things and really know her and thoughts like that make me upset".

Jack saw a tear escape Audrey's eye. Jack wiped it away and moved to hold Audrey closer against him. Jack had experienced great loss and knew that you didn't have to say a lot to comfort someone, sometimes the best thing you could do was simply let them talk and just be there for them. Jack quietly said "I know" and simply held her. They stayed there pressed against each other for a while. Audrey felt comforted, supported and secure in Jack's arms and knew that he understood her pain. Once she calmed down she said "Sorry, I don't know why I got so emotional."

"It's more than fine. I don't know if anyone ever gets over losing their mother" Jack said as he kept holding Audrey. "I'm sure she'd be happy to see how close you and your dad are" Jack said.

"I know. Our relationship isn't perfect though. I love my dad a lot and we do have a good relationship but I have always felt a lot of pressure to live up to certain standards and expectations of his."

"Really? I've seen you two together. He thinks you're perfect."

"That's the problem."

Jack hadn't really thought about Audrey's relationship with her father other than what he saw at work. Their relationship looked wonderful, what every dad wants with their daughter but maybe there were in fact a couple of issues. Jack didn't press the issue for now but would be interested in coming back to it if and when Audrey wanted to.

Audrey pulled back and took Jack's hand, pulling him over to the lounge where they laid down and cuddled up to each other. Audrey rested her head on Jack's chest, up high near his shoulder as their arms wrapped around each other. Jack kissed Audrey's forehead and she smiled before she started talking again.

"Anyway. What about your family?" Audrey asked as her fingers caressed Jack's chest.

"My mum died when I was young too."

It was now Audrey's turn to see Jack get a bit emotional. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want" she said.

"No I want to." Jack really did want to open up to Audrey, he wanted to connect with her and she deserved to get to know him better but a lot of his life had been sad and difficult and he didn't want to upset her or weigh them down. So far though she had welcomed him being open and he had only been pleased with her reactions, it felt good talking to her. Jack hadn't articulated his feelings about his family in a very long time but having Audrey against him, her touching him lovingly reassured him that it was alright to talk to her.

"Ok" Audrey replied.

"I didn't have a great childhood. There wasn't a lot of love in my family. My dad wasn't and still isn't a very good man. He never set a good example of how to be a father, husband or person really. My brother and I never had a good relationship and as an adult he's only followed in my dad's footsteps. Until she died though, I adored my mother. Teri and I were so young when we started our own family, the pregnancy was obviously unintentional but I didn't care that we were young. I wanted to have my own happy and loving family, what I had always craved but my family had never really provided. Once Kim was born we never spent much more time with my family. Becoming a dad only made me question my dad's actions over the years even more."

Audrey sensed that Jack didn't want to say anymore but was grateful that he had opened up to her, even though she was sad to hear about his family situation. Jack was gradually telling Audrey more about his life and she was starting to learn Jack's layers. At work he was polite and friendly but reserved and over the last few weeks she had finally had the opportunity to peel back some of his layers. There was a lot of intensity, regret and darkness to Jack but also hope and love and every time he opened up to Audrey she understood it all a little better.

"What was your mother's name?" Audrey asked.

"Elizabeth. Yours?"

"Alicia."

Jack and Audrey didn't talk for a few minutes, just holding each other, caressing each other gently and enjoying the close contact. They had never cuddled like this before but the mood had called for it and it felt perfect.

"This feels good" Jack said after a few minutes.

"I know" Audrey said as she smiled softly and leant up for a kiss.

They remained in that position and started talking again but back to lighter things. Not long after, they were both smiling and laughing with each other again and the mood had settled back to their normal. They sat up and agreed to see what was on television, both thinking but not saying that it might be best to move their attention to something else to keep the mood light and completely relax back into the evening. The Sunday night movie was about to start and the preview looked okay so they decided to give it a go. The movie turned out to be quite good and they enjoyed watching it curled up together on the lounge. They finished their wine as they watched and talked lightly and happily during the commercials.

A few hours later, Audrey turned the television off as the movie finished. She looked over at Jack and thought to herself how gorgeous he was. She was overcome with the desire to kiss him as she looked at his gorgeous, soft lips and reached and pulled him towards her. The kiss heated up quickly. This was their first kiss within four private walls and they took advantage of the opportunity, kissing passionately and letting their hands and lips explore, daring to touch new territory. Audrey let her lips travel to Jack's jaw, neck and back to his lips, focusing her attention on his bottom lip before Jack took the chance to kiss Audrey's neck and shoulder, before placing a gentle kiss on her cheek and then getting lost in kissing her lips again. Their kisses were a mix of soft and sensual and sexy and eager, making them both feel amazing sensations throughout their bodies as the other kissed them in all the right ways. They were careful to respect their boundaries but they could each only imagine what taking things further would do if simply kissing like this made them feel this good. They pulled back after a while and smiled at each other before Jack said "I should go soon, it's getting late".

"Yeah" Audrey said.

Jack put his arm around Audrey and they cuddled for another minute before they got up and Audrey walked Jack to the door.

"I had a great day and thanks again for dinner" Jack said.

"I had a great day too. Thank you for the flowers and well, just being you" Audrey said.

Jack smiled at her last statement and they kissed again at the door, tenderly and sweetly and Audrey reluctantly watched Jack leave, her house feeling a little emptier already.

Like after all of his dates with Audrey, Jack left her house feeling a simple but wonderful happiness. Today's date had been a little different though and he had definitely felt their relationship move forwards a little and continue blossoming into something real. As romantic as a dinner date could be and as much as Jack had loved those dates with Audrey so far, there was something Jack found more intimate about being invited into someone's home, eating home cooked food together, cuddling on the lounge and opening up to each other in private. Jack had fun today and he always felt happy and content with Audrey. It had been such a look into Audrey's life and what their future weekends hopefully together could look like. Even when they had a more emotional moment later on, it was beautiful and they comforted each other perfectly. Jack found it beautiful that they could talk, relax and do things together like friends and also open up to each other and receive comfort and kiss, cuddle and caress like lovers. Their relationship was the right mix of fun, seriousness and affection, supporting and caring about each other. It was all only confirmation that the two of them fit together incredibly well, something Jack was surprised to feel so early in their relationship although happy to discover. There was just something about Audrey, something about them together that felt right.

Like they had agreed a few weeks ago, they were simply enjoying spending time together and getting to know each other, allowing their feelings to develop authentically and avoiding adding any pressures or expectations to their relationship. Despite their agreement to take things slow though, Jack cared for Audrey deeply and his feelings were certainly very real and strong.

Jack had felt nervous prior to a few of their initial dates, having not done this for some time and really liking Audrey, feeling that he was ready and willing to properly date her with the intention of heading into a loving relationship and truly feeling and believing that she could be the right person for him. Because of this Jack had overthought a lot of things, feeling anxious about how to open up to Audrey, how to give her what she wanted or needed and even how and where to take her on dates. However, his worries were all in his mind for whenever he was actually in her presence, his worries faded and their time spent together flowed naturally and easily just like today.

For the many differences between someone like Jack and someone like Audrey, Jack had come to realise that they approached some things in a similar way. Audrey was friendly but serious at work but had this attractive, beautiful lightness to her in her personal life that made him feel cared for. Jack was the same way though, focused and dedicated at work but he at least lately was more relaxed and happy in his personal life. They seemed to laugh at the same things, both had stories about their lives to share with the other and he felt an easy happiness and contentedness around her. They were both quite serious during the day but made each other laugh at night. When conversation turned deeper, they were both happy to open up about their careers, families and views on the world, and again found that they both shared a strong moral compass that seemed to point them in the same direction. Even in lighter moments though, they could happily talk about television, books, movies, sports, hobbies, food or their appreciation for a good coffee made by a barista who knows what they're doing.

Jack was grateful for finding Audrey and having the chance to be with her. When he moved to Washington D.C. months ago, he had only dared to hope that his future would involve him being able to be with someone that he cared about, and who cared about him. Even when he had imagined the type of person that might be, they didn't have half of the kindness, compassion, understanding or beauty that Audrey did; nor did he think that that person would ignite him in even half the way Audrey seemed to. He only hoped that their relationship continued to progress. Audrey seemed happy, displaying a special smile, look in her eyes and affection that he had only dreamed of witnessing and he hoped that he continued to make her happy like she was making him.


	8. Chapter 8

_Hi all, sorry for the delay with this chapter. Life is busy and wonderful at that but it leaves little time for writing. I want you all to know that I will continue this story no matter what, it just might take some time! The next two chapters are more than half written so they shouldn't take too long to get up. Hope you like this next piece._

 **Start of December 2004**

It had been a little over a month since Jack and Audrey's first kiss and the beginning of their relationship. It was a Saturday evening and Jack stood in his kitchen making dinner for him and Audrey. Jack had never considered himself a cook by any means. Being able to make a few basic meals was the height of his cooking skills but when he was at Audrey's a week ago she had joked that Jack would have to make her dinner one night. A few days later they went out for a drink after work and Jack had said to Audrey that if she dared, he would like to try to make her dinner on the weekend. Audrey told Jack that he didn't have to but Jack had told her that he wanted to and she had smiled, seemed very impressed and told him that she would love that.

Jack had spent hours on his Saturday morning looking up recipes and shopping for ingredients. He was confident that he could follow the recipe he had chosen, choosing to make a salmon and mushroom fettuccine and as he made the recipe he thought to himself that it looked and smelt good and that it wasn't as difficult as he thought making a nice, romantic dinner would be. Jack had also bought an expensive bottle of white wine and had bought some handmade chocolates from a popular artisanal chocolate shop, knowing how much Audrey adored chocolate. Jack had cleaned his apartment, made himself look presentable and everything was going as well as it could. Jack was a little nervous, hoping that Audrey liked what she saw that evening; the food, his apartment, him. Despite being a little nervous though, he was mainly feeling excited at the thought of seeing her, a feeling he was getting used to lately. Although they saw each other every day it wasn't quality time and they did try to have dinner or drinks a couple of times during the week but their work hours were long and even those occasions weren't very long or relaxed, sometimes heading back to the office afterwards but their time on the weekend was uninterrupted, relaxed, enjoyable, completely private and Jack simply felt happy and cared for in Audrey's presence.

Jack had more or less finished making dinner and left it on low heat to stay warm when Audrey knocked on the door. Jack opened the door and they greeted each other with a smile and a gentle "hey" before they shared a kiss, followed by another few soft kisses, not having had the chance to kiss each other for a few days. Jack welcomed Audrey inside and any nervousness he had been holding onto left him immediately. As usual, their time together flowed easily. Audrey wandered around his apartment, giving herself a tour while Jack poured some wine for them. Audrey complimented the view from Jack's window and was excited to finally see a couple of photographs that he had on display, almost all of Kim and affectionately complimenting a few of them. Jack carried Audrey's glass over to her which she happily took and kissed him again. Audrey took a sip, telling Jack that he had chosen a great bottle of wine. Jack and Audrey talked about their days, each happy to hear about the small moments in the other's life and Audrey took the opportunity to ask a few questions about some of the photos on display, Jack fondly looking at the photos and telling Audrey the stories that went along with each of them; how tiny Kim was as a baby, Kim's first day of school, a family vacation, Jack's arm around Audrey and Audrey gently rubbing his back as he reminisced and let her listen to some of his happy memories.

Once they were ready to eat, Jack served the pasta for them and they sat at his dining table to eat. Audrey seemed impressed by everything and seemed to genuinely enjoy the food, commenting on how great it was and how nice it was for Jack to have gone to such an effort for her. Conversation over dinner was enjoyable as always, their chemistry easy and discussing topics ranging from serious to playful topics that left Jack wondering again how someone as amazing, interesting, smart, caring and funny as Audrey existed.

As dinner came to an end and they cleared the table and poured more wine, Jack insisting that Audrey not help him pack the dishwasher. Audrey walked out of the kitchen laughing at Jack's insistence and walked over to the main window to admire the view again. Audrey looked out the window until Jack was done and he walked back to the table, taking a seat. Audrey turned to walk back and join him at the table again.

"The view is so impressive" Audrey said.

"I know, it's amazing" Jack replied.

Something about the beautiful Washington D.C. view sparked a question in Audrey that she realised she didn't know the answer to, despite getting so close to Jack recenty. "So what sparked your career change and move to Washington D.C. anyway?" Audrey asked. Audrey saw Jack's face and body language change in an instant and she knew that Jack's answer carried much more weight than she had simply presumed.

* * *

Jack couldn't hide his initial reaction to Audrey's question. Jack had suspected that James never told her the details of his career change and move and her question confirmed that she had no idea. Jack knew that it was a fair and simple question that honestly, he had been anticipating for some time now but Audrey didn't know how loaded it was. Although it was fair that she knew the story and knew the man she was dating, Jack had been dreading this conversation. His answer to her question could change everything between them.

Jack had started opening up and speaking to Audrey about things that he had never spoken with anybody about, let a alone a woman he was interested in. Looking back, he realised that he had never even had these conversations with his wife, shielding her from his work and the person his work made him be. Jack had to admit that it had been nice to finally open up to Audrey about some of these things. It was so consuming to keep these things to himself and Audrey always seemed eager to hear about both his professional and personal highlights and more importantly difficulties over the years yet he never felt any pressure to tell her things that he didn't want to. Jack didn't glamourise his previous role or life to Audrey, explaining that for every victory, there were a hundred more depressing stories. Audrey was close enough to his world to know about, understand and not be scared by some of the things that he was involved in and endured although he usually left the bleaker parts of his stories out when he told her, knowing that the realities of some of these situations were much worse than what was relayed over the phone, on paper or simply in theory. Luckily, Audrey could appreciate this and understood the stakes and moments of questionable morality involves in being a field agent. Regardless, there were still numerous touchy subjects that Jack had only glided over; his past with CTU and everything that brought to his life, his unhappy childhood, the strain that his job had put on his marriage and ability to be a present husband and father, Teri's death and the period that he was estranged from Kim. He had only touched on some of these but knew that there would be more to come. Jack wasn't sure how she did it but Audrey always seemed to ask the right questions and have the right reactions to his stories and emotions, not judging, not feeling sorry for him, just seeking to further understand the job and what went into it, the personal stakes involved and most importantly, to understand Jack.

Of all touchy subjects though, this was the worst and something Jack had never spoken about. Sure, Jack's previous colleagues knew about this subject but he had never had to formulate the words or talk about his feelings with them. Jack would be nervous to tell anyone about this but he cared deeply for Audrey already and didn't want to lose her. On top of that, he worried about her reaction because she was so sophisticated, classy and innocent and from a conservative upbringing. Jack wasn't sure how to go about explaining his heroin addiction and the huge cost it had to his life to someone like Audrey who had likely never come across anything remotely like this in her life.

While it was fair for her to ask questions and know these things about them, particularly before their relationship progressed further, this was the one thing that Jack didn't know how to justify or how to shield Audrey from some of the details. Jack knew he needed to tell her the whole truth and hope to God that she could find some way to accept it.

* * *

Jack looked at Audrey with pain and shame in his eyes and said "I'll tell you, but it's not pretty" before looking down, unable to look her in the eye anymore.

Audrey, trying to recover from the quick change in mood quickly walked back to the table and sat down next to Jack.

"Hey, you don't have to tell me Jack. Sorry, I didn't realise it was for a such a big or unhappy reason".

"No, you deserve to know who you're dating. I'm not proud of what I'm about to tell you though and I hope it doesn't change things between us. I'd understand and not blame you though if it does and you don't want this to continue any further".

Audrey reached for Jack's hand but he pulled away from her, not touching her and not looking at her. He took a deep breath and started "About two years ago I commenced an undercover operation for CTU in Mexico with some people, two brothers in particular, the Salazar brothers".

"I remember them, the prison break and the whole situation with the cordilla virus", Audrey said.

Jack closed his eyes for a second, remembering one of the worst days in his life. At least he didn't have to censor his stories for national security purposes with Audrey, her being aware of a lot of things or able to appreciate the severity or intensity of things. Jack opened his eyes but still avoided Audrey's eyes and continued talking "Yeah, that. It was a long operation though which just resulted in that. I won't go into the details but the operation was risky. They were really bad people. We knew that if we could pull the operation off though, the pay off would be good and I wanted to be the person to lead it, which I did".

Jack took another deep breath and continued. "Like I said, they were bad people. To develop and maintain my cover down in Mexico, I had to use heroin. Frequently. I became addicted. It was a necessary part of my cover and I hated it but it is a very addictive drug and I wasn't immune just because of my intentions behind it. When I came home I tried to stop completely but I suffered with severe withdrawal symptoms so I decided to slowly wean myself off but it all came to light and people found out… work, Kim, everyone".

Jack was still not looking at Audrey but this time when she reached out to hold his hand, he didn't pull away from her. "I felt so ashamed and still do to have lost control of my body like that and let this thing ruin me but I couldn't stop. I hated myself for being so reliant on it, for feeling good when I used it. It was an awful, lonely time and I was so ashamed at what had become of my life but it was all made so much worse when everyone found out. After that I entered a program and haven't touched anything since. I worked at CTU for a few more months after that but then there was a management change and the new director saw my previous addiction as a vulnerability that she didn't want at CTU and she fired me. So that's why I no longer work at CTU and why I wanted to find something new, something different, what brought me here".

"You were fired for a habit you incurred as part of a mission?" Audrey asked.

"Yeah."

"How can they do that?"

"I don't know. It doesn't matter" Jack said as he shrugged, still not meeting her eyes.

Audrey had a million questions but she could see Jack in pain in front of her, ashamed and hurting and obviously scared of her reaction. She knew that she needed to save her questions for later, push them out of her mind and right now show Jack that she was there for him and make sure he knew that this didn't change how she felt about him.

"Hey, it's ok" Audrey cooed as she softly squeezed Jack's hand and reached up with her other hand, brushing the backs of her fingers against his cheek and gently lifting his face so that he would look at her. He looked up to meet her eyes. Having just laid all of his emotions bare, Jack's eyes were a little wet. Audrey caressed his face and Jack closed his eyes, leaning into her hand. He didn't know what she'd say to all of this but so far her reaction was better than he had ever hoped for and he was both surprised and relieved. Audrey wiped Jack's eyes when he opened them again and found herself let a few tears fall as she started speaking.

"Oh Jack. Thank you for sharing that with me. I can barely imagine what you went through. It wasn't your fault though, you were doing your job". Audrey leant in to kiss Jack's cheek.

"I thought you'd be upset" Jack said as she pulled back.

"I am but not at you" Audrey said, thinking how unfair these jobs were to people like Jack.

Jack was still obviously upset. This was all fresh and she suspected that he hadn't spoken about this with anyone before. Audrey wasn't sure what to say or do but she knew that their chairs seemed too far away from each other. Audrey stood up and put her arms around Jack, his head resting against her chest as she leant down and kissed his head.

"This doesn't change anything Jack" Audrey said as she held him. "Can I do anything to make it better?"

"This, being here, being more kind and understanding than I deserve". Jack was still ashamed by everything but Audrey made him feel better. "I've been thinking though that maybe this was all a blessing in disguise. I needed to get out of there but never would have done it myself. I'm in a happy and safe job and actually living life again, my daughter doesn't have to worry about whether I'll live or die every time I go to work and none of that, including this, us, would have been possible before."

"I'm glad you're happy now. You deserve to be happy Jack".

Jack responded by tightening his arms around Audrey and leaning into her. Audrey was clearly on his side, even at times when he wasn't even on his own side.

"Your father knows by the way, he gave me more of a chance than I deserved."

Again, Audrey had more questions but Jack didn't need more questions right now. Audrey simply held Jack and enjoyed his arms around her, rubbing her lower back. They stayed like that for a while until they tilted their heads so that their eyes could meet again, Jack only seeing compassion in her eyes.

"I know you must have questions" Jack said.

"Yeah" Audrey replied.

"That's okay. Is it okay if we don't talk about it anymore tonight though?"

"Of course" Audrey said, leaning down to rest her head against his. Audrey knew how emotionally draining that must have been for Jack and respected that Jack didn't want to delve into it any deeper at the moment

"Are you sure you're okay with this?" Jack asked, followed by "I'd understand if…" but he didn't finish because Audrey cut him off by saying "Yes", her eyes confirming what she was saying. Jack trusted her answer but knew that he didn't deserve someone so understanding and loving.

Audrey sat down again and they sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes, holding hands before easing back into talking about other things, letting go of the previous conversation for now and their usual dynamic resuming. After a while Jack said "I got us something else". Jack then got up and brought back the box of beautiful, handmade and expensive chocolates. He had bought a lot, not sure what Audrey would like best. There was a mix of dark, milk and white chocolate with fruit, chocolate, coffee, nut and liqueur fillings. Audrey's eyes lit up and thankfully, she seemed impressed.

"Oh my God Jack, you know me so well. I love this shop and you got so many. Did I tell you that I liked this shop? Oh wow, yum".

Jack laughed at Audrey's reaction. "Do you want another drink?" Jack asked.

"I think I need a coffee if I have any hope of driving home safely" Audrey laughed. "I can make it though".

"No, sit down" Jack laughed.

"No, let me help at least."

"Ok" Jack said with a smile and then kissed Audrey's forehead.

They made a cup of coffee each and carried the coffee and chocolates to the lounge where they relaxed and cosied up together, Jack turning on some light background music on the way. Audrey carefully examined the chocolates and chose one. Jack did the same.

"These are delicious" Audrey said.

"They're amazing" Jack agreed.

Audrey smiled at Jack and said "You have been too good to me tonight"

"Impossible" Jack replied.

Audrey's smile widened. "Seriously Jack. You didn't have to do all of this for me. Everything was perfect. Dinner was amazing, so amazing actually maybe you'll have to cook for me more often" she said laughing lightly. She continued "The wine was great and you bought me half the chocolate shop". Audrey leant in and kissed Jack then let her head rest on his shoulder. Jack wrapped his arms around her and let his fingers run through her hair, Audrey sighing as he did so.

The next couple of hours were spent on the lounge together, simply enjoying each other's company and closeness. They had been able to move on after their heaviest conversation yet and Audrey really didn't seem bothered. Audrey made an effort to open up about a few things, to show Jack that she also had thoughts and feelings she wasn't the most proud of. Audrey asked a few questions about Jack's previous job, perhaps more interested now that she knew the dark realities of it but she didn't push any answers out of him, gently questioning and accepting his answers even if they were only half answers. Despite that, they still laughed and joked about some of their colleagues, listened to the background music Jack had put on earlier, enjoyed and shared the delicious chocolates, savoured their coffee and made each other laugh with light, entertaining stories and thoughts. There was no need for the television or anything else to entertain them, completely taken by each other, caught up in conversation and touching, kissing and cuddling at every opportunity.

As the night drew on, they inched closer and closer until they stopped talking and started slowly but passionately kissing, the world coming down to just the two of them. It was sensual and sexy but not urgent, taking their time to enjoy each other's kisses, touches, soaking up all the physical contact, every touch feeling like magic. They loved this, being able to be so affectionate. They had taken to holding hands or leaning in for a quick kiss during their dates or kissing more in an empty carpark but being affectionate like this in private was new and exciting for both of them.

* * *

It was getting late and Jack and Audrey were getting tired. Still sitting closely together, cuddling on the lounge, Audrey said softly "I should go".

"Mmm" Jack replied, both he and Audrey thinking how nice it would be if she stayed but neither saying anything as they hadn't really discussed this topic yet.

"What are you doing tomorrow?" Audrey asked.

"No plans" Jack replied.

"Do you want to do something?"

"Yeah" Jack said, smiling. "Should you introduce me to those famous muffins you told me about last weekend?"

"Oh yes, perfect idea" Audrey said as she smiled. At least knowing she'd see Jack tomorrow, Audrey was able to reluctantly drag herself away from him and gathered her things to head home for the night. Jack got up too and walked Audrey downstairs and down the street to her car. Audrey almost told him that he should stay inside in the warmth and that she could see herself out but Jack was already very protective of her and she knew there was no point in asking him to do that.

"Thanks again Jack" Audrey said before kissing him goodnight.

"It was my pleasure. Can you text me when you get home?" Jack replied.

"Ok. See you tomorrow" Audrey said, smiling to herself before she drove home thinking how lucky she was to have found such an amazing man who obviously cared for her deeply and went to such effort to make her happy.

* * *

Jack walked back upstairs feeling not only happy but also a lightness, having let go of tension he didn't even realise he was holding in his body. Not only had the evening gone better than expected in terms of his plans for Audrey but the conversation that had been looming over him had been had and resolved. Jack was good, if not exceptional at reading body language and Audrey didn't flinch or express any discomfort or horror like he thought she would have. As always, Audrey had listened, passed no judgement and accepted Jack's stories and feelings for what they were, supporting him and caring for him but not pitying him. Jack realised that in opening up to Audrey, and her still liking him and choosing to be with him, he felt understood, accepted, safe and cared for and he was realising that this was what he needed to feel secure and comfortable in a relationship. He had forgotten what it was like to connect with someone like this, if he had ever known, on such a personal, emotional and intimate level. He hadn't smiled or laughed so freely in a long time and he knew that she was the reason for that. The more he experienced Audrey's warmth and opened up to her, the more he settled into their relationship and the more he realised how much they fit together, finally accepting that this could really work and he could actually be happy.

Jack climbed into bed and wished that Audrey was here with him. He closed his eyes and turned on his side, imagining holding her next to him like this and falling asleep with her. Jack wanted to start spending nights with Audrey soon for obvious reasons. Jack couldn't deny how much he wanted her, his brain and body had been telling him how much lately, desperate to connect with her in that way and satisfy deep physical desires that she had ignited. Not only that though but he wanted the other things that would bring; not having to say goodbye to her at night, simply more time with her, holding each other in bed at night, falling asleep together, waking each other up, morning cuddles, drinking their morning coffee together, making dinner together and never having to leave the warmth and comfort of Audrey to come home to fall asleep by himself.

Jack knew though that they should wait as long as possible before having sex, not only to be confident in their relationship but to avoid any awkwardness at work if things didn't work out between them, but things were going so well between them and their relationship seemed to only be getting better and flourishing more by the day and Jack didn't know if much more time was necessary to wait. It was probably time to talk about all of this with her and see what her thoughts were. Jack closed his eyes, lost in thoughts and imaginations of Audrey.

A few minutes later Jack's phone beeped with a text message from her.

" _Hey, I'm home and just got into bed. Thank you again for a beautiful night Jack. See you tomorrow xx."_

Jack smiled at the message and replied before he let himself fall asleep.

" _See you tomorrow Audrey. Sweet_ _dreams xx."_


	9. Chapter 9

_Hi all, this is just a quick chapter linking the previous and the next and taking a chance to explore Audrey's thoughts at this point in their relationship. I promise that things get a bit more exciting in the next chapter (warning: very exciting haha) so stay tuned for that soon!_

 **December 2004**

 _Takes place a few days after Chapter 8_

Jack had been on Audrey's mind constantly the last few days. This wasn't too unusual these days but her feelings had deepened, again, after the last weekend they spent together. Jack had been open and vulnerable with her and trusted her with something big that he himself hadn't quite come to terms with, something that he thought might stop their relationship from progressing any further. The reality was that the events of the weekend had only bonded them at an even more accelerated pace and Audrey felt closer and more connected to Jack than ever.

Audrey hadn't been entirely sure how to handle Jack's admission on the weekend and hadn't quite been sure how to navigate some of their conversations that had popped up before this one. She couldn't pretend to truly understand Jack's life and world, although she did her best to appreciate it but luckily Jack didn't expect her to. Although she was still learning what Jack wanted or needed from her, she felt like she was learning. Audrey was doing her best to follow her intuition, ask gentle questions, show that she cared about Jack and do her best to work to understand and support him the best she could. The closer they got, the more Jack meant to her and the more she hoped she was giving him what he needed and deserved. Even in only a short period of time, Audrey knew that she was getting better at reading Jack and was coming to really understand him, the happy and good along with the loss and pain he had experienced in his life. Audrey knew how vulnerable Jack was being with her lately and wanted to confirm to him how much she cared about him, supported him and that she would be there for him and not hurt him. Audrey was confident that she was on the right path though as Jack seemed to appreciate and respond to her approach evidenced by him being increasingly trusting of her.

The more Audrey learnt about Jack though, the more incredible she thought he was; the things he had gone through professionally and personally, some of the decisions he had made, his achievements and his thoughts about all of these things. She was forever impressed and could easily say that she had never met someone so interesting, thoughtful, intelligent, deep or with such an unwavering sense of loyalty and conscience as Jack. Jack was honest and direct but fair, loving and gentle all at the same time. Audrey liked who she was around Jack, opening her mind, feeling thoughtful and stimulated and being someone who listened and was able to be there for someone who needed her. Audrey truly felt honoured to get to know someone like Jack in this way.

Jack being very honest and direct was something new for Audrey. Although Jack could be reserved at times, he only spoke the truth and articulated his thoughts truthfully and clearly. It was something she'd never quite experienced in a relationship but it was something she enjoyed. When Jack told her how much he liked her or how beautiful she looked or how happy she made him, he was so sincere and she had no doubt regarding his intentions or true thoughts as they were all laid out for her.

Although Audrey hadn't experienced things in her life like Jack had, she had also felt comfortable in opening up to him and being vulnerable with thoughts and parts of herself that she wasn't particularly proud of. Audrey found herself entirely at ease with Jack and found that she could be her true self, something she probably hadn't ever shared entirely with Paul or her father or most of her family and friends; always censoring some part of herself or acting in the way she was supposed to or in a way to suit others. Jack didn't have conditions or standards for her to meet like so many people in her life did and even after only a few weeks of dating, she felt comfortable telling him anything, knowing that he'd understand her. Audrey had opened up about losing her mother when she was only a child and feeling her absence through her whole life and about her close relationship with her father but feeling overwhelmed by living up to his standards and feeling nervous at times to share parts of himself with him as she didn't want to disappoint him. Audrey had also shared how self conscious she was about people talking about the fact that she was James Heller's daughter and worried that they gossiped that she only got her job due to this, how she felt guilty that she wasn't as sad as she should be over her marriage ending and generally opened up about her hopes and dreams for her future, including most wanting to have a happy relationship with someone she cared about. The more honest she was and the more she opened up herself, the more Jack seemed to like her, telling her that he liked hearing her real thoughts and emotions and supporting her, telling her that nothing she thought or felt was bad or wrong, simply her, and that he thought she was a intelligent, beautiful and deserving person, some of the most beautiful things that anyone had ever said to her.

Jack particularly listened and seemed to understand her relationship with her father, understanding how much she loved him but appreciating the pressure she felt to uphold a certain image, the pressure heightened given his disappointment in and strained relationship with his son. It felt good to talk to Jack about these things. Audrey knew that she was an emotional person and it felt good to share those emotions with someone. Although she kept her cool in any professional sense, she liked to think, feel and share with people she trusted and she had come to learn that Jack was the same. It was surprising, but beautiful to both that they had trusted and fell for each other so quickly and were able to share themselves like this.

Jack had also paid Audrey sincere compliments when they discussed her insecurities around her job. Jack had told Audrey that he couldn't think any higher of her, that she was brilliant, intelligent, adaptive, strong willed, well spoken, experienced and worked well beyond what was expected to prove even further that she was as good at the job, if not better than anyone else could be. Jack told her that anyone who knew her would know this and how great she was at her job. He had finished his argument by saying that anyone who still thought that way could only be jealous given all of her assets plus how beautiful she was, words again that seemed so honest said by Jack and that made her melt a little.

Although there was a lot of heaviness already in the opening up and connecting on a deep emotional level and Audrey knew she was only just scratching the surface of Jack and that there was more to come, she was having fun with Jack. Audrey found it easy to smile, laugh, be affectionate and enjoy herself. She knew that Jack felt the same. Although Jack could be intense at times, Audrey could feel him relax around her, his eyes softening and body relaxing around her, something he didn't seem to do with anyone else, which she felt honoured by and happy with, but something she also took seriously. Spending time together, whether it was an after work drink, dinner at a restaurant, getting out and walking around the city on a weekend and showing Jack Washington D.C., light conversation over a coffee, spending time at home whether talking or simply cooking dinner or watching television, it was always easy, enjoyable and fun.

There was something else pertaining to Jack that Audrey could barely get off her mind. As per their agreement to take their relationship slowly, they hadn't introduced sex into their relationship yet but given their growing connection, Audrey was beginning to think that the right time was fast approaching. Audrey couldn't deny that their kisses and touches were becoming more intimate, confident and definitely more sexual, making her feel all sorts of things. Physically, she was eager to give into the heat between them, anticipating how amazing it would be but she was also looking forward to making their relationship even more intimate, which was a step that she was more than ready to take. Plus, they wouldn't have to say good bye to each other at the end of a wonderful date or simply a long day; they'd get to be together, a thought that made Audrey happy. She wanted to make sure that both she and Jack were confident in their relationship and the timing of this before going through with it though. They both had a lot riding on this given both of their personal situations plus their working relationship and didn't want her or Jack to have any doubts about it. Audrey assumed that at the rate things were going, this conversation, or hopefully action, would be fast resolved.

* * *

It was the week after their Saturday evening date at Jack's followed by spending a relaxed Sunday together. Jack and Audrey had planned to have dinner together after work on this Thursday night but as the hours ticked by into the evening, the weather only became increasingly cold, rainy and miserable. As time to go home approached, Audrey popped into Jack's office and asked whether he wanted to come to her house for dinner to save them going out in this weather. Jack happily agreed and they decided to pick up some food on their way home to save them having to cook. They ordered Thai food from a restaurant near Audrey's house, both naming the same dish as their favourite before they phoned to order, laughing at their similar tastes. Jack insisted on picking the food up on the way there, not wanting Audrey to have to run around in the rain and wanting her to drive home safely without any stops. Audrey appreciated how thoughtful Jack was and although they both knew she was more than capable, it felt nice to have someone take care of and be protective of her. Both were happy with the plan. As nice as it was to go out, they both loved being able to be comfortable and relaxed and have privacy at home with each other, these opportunities quickly becoming their favourite time spent together.

Audrey had been home for a few minutes when Jack arrived and had left the front door unlocked so that he could walk straight in. Jack felt happy the second he walked in, feeling at home, stepping into the warmth and seeing Audrey smile when she saw him. She was already pulling out plates and pouring them a drink each when Jack walked in. Jack placed the food down on the counter before wrapping his arms around Audrey's waist and kissing her hello. Jack could still barely believe that this was reality and that he was getting to spend time with this amazing woman. They took a moment to bask in each other's warmth before disengaging. Although they had been around each other all day, they never shared more than a gentle, affectionate touch at work and it was nice to embrace, signifying that their work day was over and they could now act how they wanted to, like two people that were dating, around each other.

"I'm starving" Jack said as they started moving around the kitchen, serving themselves dinner.

"Me too" Audrey replied, smiling at him before she continued "I'm happy we decided to order in, this is so good on a night like tonight", waving at the window where the wild weather was on display for them.

"I couldn't agree more" Jack said, lightly touching her back as he moved past her.

"So obviously we're civilised people" Audrey said coyly "but how do you feel about taking full advantage of an evening in and eating on the lounge with blankets, television, you know, all the good stuff?"

Jack laughed and said "That sounds amazing".

They made their way into the lounge room and put on a television show that they both enjoyed and settled into the evening, their easy chemistry, both thinking that this was the most comfortable and happy Thursday evening they'd had in a while.

After they had eaten, Audrey laid down a little and stretched her legs out to the other side of the lounge where Jack was sitting.

"Is this ok?" She asked.

He smiled and said "Of course", happily pulling her legs into his lap and letting his hands softly caress her beautiful, feminine legs and then rest on her gently, remaining like this for a while, until the end of the show they were watching, both of them loving being together like this.

As the show neared to an end though, Jack became very aware of how close he and Audrey were and started thinking of ways they could be even closer. Once the show finished, Jack reached out to turn it off with the remote and without saying anything, crawled up the couch so that he was very close to Audrey, half beside her, half above her and started kissing her without hesitation. Audrey leant her body into Jack's, eagerly kissing him back, basking in him, his touch, smell, taste, everything, it was still all so new and intoxicating and every kiss seemed more and more exciting.

Their kiss started softly, caressing each other's faces and running hands through each other's hair, both sighing gently before passion got the better of them and their hands started wandering. Audrey found herself untucking Jack's shirt so that her hands could touch his back, sides and waist. Jack almost jumped when Audrey started touching his bare skin, her touch sending a pleasurable shiver up his spine. Jack kept kissing Audrey and sighed, letting her know how good her touch felt. Jack took her move to mean that she would be comfortable with him doing the same and finally, after so long let his hands move to places he had been dreaming of. Jack ran his hands over Audrey's back then lower, down the back of her legs. Audrey was wearing a dress which Jack pushed up higher towards her hips to allow his hands access to her thighs, finally touching her bare skin. Jack moved his lips to Audrey's neck, kissing her there before moving to her shoulder then her collar bone, his hands still caressing her thighs, higher, hands closing around her hips. Audrey moaned at how amazing all of the new contact and sensations felt which only urged Jack on more, both revelling in how good all the touching felt.

There was no hesitation from either side so they continued kissing each other, letting their hands run wild. Audrey ended up wrapping one leg around Jack, pulling him closer, both moaning as she did so. After a few minutes, Jack pulled back to catch his breath and met Audrey's eyes. Audrey smiled let out an almost embarrassed laugh as Jack looked at her sheepishly.

"Sorry, we got a little carried away didn't we" Jack said.

Audrey laughed, more genuine and less embarrassed this time as she said "No, don't be sorry, that felt good".

"It really did" Jack said as Audrey sat up and took Jack's hand in hers, pulling him up too.

"I guess this is something we should talk about" Audrey said.

"Yeah" Jack agreed. Both knew that this conversation had to happen before they progressed to the next stage in their relationship. Although slightly awkward, as with every step of their relationship so far, the conversation felt comfortable once they started talking.

Audrey started "Jack, I really like you and I'm ready for this next step", both smiling and blushing at each other "But I know we agreed to take things slow… for lots of reasons. What do you think?"

Jack leant in and kissed her lips and said "I feel ready too".

"Sure?" Audrey asked.

"Definitely" Jack replied.

"So…" Audrey started, laughing nervously.

Jack leant in and kissed her again then laid down on the couch, pulling her into his arms so they were cuddling each other. He rubbed her back as she leant against him and she caressed his chest. Jack said "Let's not rush. If we still feel ready and good about it the next time this happens we'll know it's right". Audrey agreed and nestled into his arms.

They ended the evening by talking for half an hour or so, talking happily and enjoying being so close to each other. Jack finally said that they should be getting to bed given the early hour they needed to wake up for work. They reluctantly stood up and walked to the door, sharing a good bye kiss before Jack left. Audrey stroked his face gently and told him to drive safely in the rain and let her know when he got home, even though it wasn't very far away. Jack smiled and kissed her forehead before walking out the door, something that he regularly did after they kissed, Jack showing his care and affection. Audrey found it incredibly sweet.

Audrey stood by the door and watched Jack climb into his car and drive away. It was so hard to see Jack leave, she felt so good with him and all she wanted was to spend the night close to him, wrapped up in him. Audrey reminded herself that she would see him at work in only a few hours but despite that, found herself hoping that this was one of their last late night goodbyes.


	10. Chapter 10

_Hi all, this is a story about the first night Jack and Audrey share together. This chapter is shorter (and hopefully not disjointed) because I have published a full version of it as a stand alone story. I like to think that it is tasteful and explores the emotional side of all of this but it is also pretty sexy and definitely M rated. I didn't want to put such a chapter in this story so have kept it more on the friendly side here. This story flows without the full version (use your imagination) or you can go and read the full version if you like. I hope you like it._

* * *

 **December 2004**

It was a Saturday night and Jack and Audrey were nearing the end of a beautiful dinner at a romantic little restaurant. Jack had met Audrey at her house earlier in the evening where they had relaxed and had a drink together before walking out to dinner, the restaurant within walking distance from Audrey's house. They had eaten delicious meals, enjoyed a glass of wine and Audrey had convinced Jack to share a small dessert with her. They had been extremely affectionate with each other all evening and neither of them had been able to stop smiling for hours. Their relationship was progressing better than either had hoped for and they were both experiencing a true, deep happiness with the other that they hadn't felt in a very long time. They had both picked up on their intense connection tonight, intimacy in their touches, glances and voices. They were also thinking of their conversation a few days ago where they both agreed that they felt good about taking their relationship to the next stage, both suspecting where the night would take them.

While Audrey went to the bathroom, Jack paid for their dinner. Audrey came back and saw the cheque paid for on the table and kissed Jack's cheek gently, thanking him for dinner. Jack helped Audrey into her coat and they left the restaurant hand in hand. They exited onto the street which was beautifully lit up and decorated in preparation for Christmas which was only a few weeks away now. Although it was cold, they were bundled up warmly in their coats and agreed to take a longer route back to Audrey's house, getting to walk through and experience the most decorated streets. Jack said that it was like a fairytale, never having experienced a true winter Christmas, California barely counting. They held hands, wrapped their arms around each other and kissed a few times during their romantic meander back to Audrey's house, stopping to look at and admire the lights and decorations, both of them getting carried away in each other's affection and romance along the way.

* * *

As they approached Audrey's house, Audrey turned to Jack and put her arms around his neck, him wrapping his arms around her too before smiling at each other and and leaning in for a kiss that was sensual, deep and full of anticipation and promise.

Audrey pulled back from the kiss and looked into Jack's eyes. "Do you want to stay the night?" she asked, smiling.

"I'd love to" Jack said, returning her smile. "Are you sure?" he checked.

Audrey leant in to kiss him again then rested her forehead against his before saying "Yes, are you?".

"Yes" Jack replied, caressing her face with his hands, feeling excited but also feeling a little nervous. He trusted Audrey though and wanted to do this with her so much which helped his nerves settle. They took a moment to smile at each other before Audrey turned and led Jack into her house.

Audrey knew that this was what she wanted but naturally she felt a little nervous. She wanted this to be great and was also nervous as she hadn't done this with someone new for over ten years. Jack knew this though, having touched on this topic in few words but both understanding what was being said, during one of their previous conversations. Jack had also opened up about his thoughts on this and Audrey knew that taking this step meant a lot to him too, for various reasons. Audrey knew that Jack was probably nervous just like she was. Audrey reminded herself that this was the fun of a new relationship, leaning and discovering each other.

Audrey led Jack up the few stairs to her door. As she found her keys and unlocked the door, she felt Jack's hands on her hips and him kissing her neck from behind. Jack's touch was exciting but also made her feel at ease, every touch confirming how much he cared for her wanted her. Her nerves started to dissipate, filled instead with thoughts of how much she liked and trusted Jack and her anticipation and excitement to share this with him starting to take over. Audrey got them inside as quickly as possible and they were both quick to pull off their coats as soon as they could.

Audrey hung her coat up then turned to Jack and tilted her head. "Well…" she said seductively.

Jack looked at Audrey with more desire than she'd ever seen. "God, I have waited for this" Jack thought to himself. "Come here" he said, pulling her towards him, not wanting to wait another second. Jack placed a hand against Audrey's cheek and another on her back, holding her close to him as he kissed her hungrily. They were craving each other at every level and Audrey returned his kiss with just as much desire, letting herself start to get lost in him. Once they started, neither thought another nervous thought. They completely trusted each other and trusted this intimacy between them, everything feeling so right.

Once in each other's arms, they took turns between kissing and touching new parts of each other's bodies, both revelling in the feeling. Deep, sensual kisses were mixed with lighter, softer kisses mixed again with trailing their lips all over each other, getting tangled in each other. Audrey kissed up and down Jack's neck, along his jawline to his lips then again to his neck, repeating this a couple of times as she untucked his shirt and let her hands touch the bare skin of his back, sending pleasurable shivers all over his body. Jack groaned as she continued and pulled her body closer against his. Jack then slipped his hands below Audrey's shirt and caressed her soft skin as he kissed her neck, Audrey moaning softly in his ear.

Audrey started excitedly unbuttoning Jack's shirt, pushing it off him as soon as she could and finally let her hands roam free over his well defined, very masculine body. Audrey had pictured this many times and thought she knew what to expect, anticipating how muscular and sexy Jack would be but he had far exceeded her expectations. Audrey leant back a little to let her eyes admire the most perfect male body she had ever seen and said "Mmm wow". They both smiled at each other widely before Audrey's gaze returned back to his body, letting her eyes and hands explore his attractively tattooed arms and shoulders, his masculine chest with the perfect amount of hair; a little but not too much and his well defined abdomen, Jack enjoying her touch. Audrey's exploration was brief though as Jack was soon reaching for her, kissing her and making a move on getting some of her clothes off.

Jack grabbed the bottom of Audrey's shirt and started pulling up, Audrey lifting her arms to help him. Once her arms were free, Audrey took advantage of Jack's still elevated arms and ran her hands down the underside of his arms, his underarms and his sides. Jack shivered as her fingers brushed over his underarms and down. Audrey noticed thus and playfully said "Hmm". They smiled at each other and giggled. Audrey kept caressing his sides, running her fingers up and down. "Mmm" Jack said, this time anticipating her touch in such a sensitive location and loving the feel of it. Jack let his eyes sweep over Audrey's exposed upper body, Audrey seeing the desire heighten in his eyes and face.

Audrey leant in to kiss Jack, her hands caressing his chest now and Jack letting his hands wander over the beautiful, soft skin that had just been exposed to him. Audrey felt a surge of energy run through her body upon feeling their bare skin against each other's as they pulled each other as close as possible. As they kissed and touched, Jack skilfully undid Audrey's pants and started pushing them off her, Audrey assisting in making sure she was out of them completely. Audrey was now standing in front of Jack in nothing but a set of sexy, black, lacy underwear that was not hiding very much from him. Jack reached out for her hands and leant back, holding her hands, letting himself look at her beautiful body. Jack exhaled and slowly, intently said "You're so beautiful Audrey", thinking to himself that every inch of her was absolutely perfect. It was Audrey's turn to smile at Jack now. They kissed again and Jack let himself explore all of her beautiful, newly exposed curves, her back, butt, hips, abdomen and breasts, Audrey moaning quietly as his hands traveled over her.

Audrey then reached for Jack's pants, unbuckling, unbuttoning and pushing them down to join her pants. They were now almost completely exposed to each other save for their underwear. Jack and Audrey's hands continued passionately exploring each other as they kissed. It was all so exciting. They tenderly touched each other's bodies, every kiss and touch filled with love. Although it was very sexual, there was a sensual intimacy, a romance to it all. As they progressed, Jack felt warmth and desire spread throughout his whole body, down his neck, back and into his pelvis and Audrey could feel the pleasurable pressure between her legs intensify. Audrey could also feel Jack's excitement growing between their bodies, heat and desire building between them by the second. Audrey broke their kiss to kiss down Jack's neck and chest before she reached for Jack's hands, saying "come on", turning around and leading him to her bedroom.

* * *

Both lying on their backs, Jack and Audrey each took a moment to look at each other's rising and falling chests, struggling to catch their breath, bodies glistening post sex, blown away by what had just happened between them. Audrey said "Oh my god" and smiled at him. Jack smiled back widely and said "Yeah". Jack reached over and traced her face, smiling gently at her. "Come here" Jack said, pulling Audrey towards him.

They readjusted so that Jack laid comfortably on his back, head on Audrey's soft pillows and Audrey laid on her side against him, her head resting at the top of his chest, against his shoulder, legs intertwined. Jack wrapped his arms around Audrey, drawing patterns on her skin and gently playing with her hair as Audrey laid a hand on his chest, gently caressing him with her fingertips. Even after the intensely physical experience they had just had, these touches as small as light fingertips against each other's skin made them feel another million beautiful and exciting things. Jack kissed Audrey's forehead and said "That was amazing". "That was more than amazing" Audrey replied. Their lips met for a gentle kiss. "You're so beautiful" Jack said, looking into Audrey's eyes. Audrey smiled at him before she laid her head back down on him, enjoying the feel of their bodies pressed closely together and both basking in bliss after the sensual, beautiful experience they had just had.

They enjoyed cuddling their warm, naked bodies together for a while before Audrey reluctantly pulled herself away for a quick bathroom visit. Jack admired Audrey's body as she walked away and then back again, joining him once again in bed and pulling the covers over them as she resumed her position and settled against him again.

They talked gently but didn't say too much, tired and just enjoying being so close and connected, their bodies saying more and making them feel things that words simply couldn't. Audrey loved being held by Jack's strong arms, cuddling into him and Jack loved feeling Audrey securely against him. As the night fell darker and quieter around them, they stayed that way, enjoying the continued skin to skin contact and smiling, cuddling, kissing and caressing each other tenderly, completely vulnerable with each other, utterly accepted, hearts falling in love and finally happy together. Jack and Audrey laid together like this for some time but eventually their kisses and touches turned sexual again, as kisses deepened and hands started running the length of each other's bodies, both craving more intensity and intimacy, desperately wanting each other again.

* * *

Jack and Audrey held still for a few moments after experiencing such incredible, beautiful, almost simultaneous climax. "Wow" Jack said, then fell backwards back onto the bed. Audrey followed with more control, smiling as she said "Definitely wow", leaning down slowly as they both tried to catch their breath. Audrey hovered over Jack for a few seconds, looking into his eyes. Audrey leant further and they softly kissed each other's lips a couple of times, smiling at each other between kisses. Audrey then kissed Jack's neck lovingly before rolling to her right side and resting against him. Jack rolled to his left side and held Audrey against him. Jack and Audrey cuddled on their sides, holding each other, smiling, caressing and touching sweetly and softly, kissing each other, feeling completely satisfied and cared for. Jack and Audrey remained this way for some time, tangled in each other, soaking up each other's love, recovering and starting to drift off to sleep given the late hour and physical exertion. They each started to close their eyes sleepily as they embraced and relaxed together.

Audrey knew that she needed to get up before she truly surrendered to sleep. "I need to get up" she said.

"No" Jack said, tightening his arms around Audrey and kissing her face softly.

"Jack" Audrey said, laughing softly as she tried to wriggle away from him.

"Don't leave me for long" Jack said before kissing her lips and releasing her.

Audrey made her way to the bathroom to freshen up and complete some express resemblance of her usual nightly routine before she quickly made her way back to bed, fixing the bedding, lifting up the sheet and duvet to properly cover them after making quite a mess of them. As Audrey climbed back into bed, Jack climbed out. "Hey" Audrey said playfully and Jack laughed in response. "Not a bad view" Audrey said as Jack walked away from her. Jack turned around to meet her eyes, both of them laughing sexily and happily. Jack went to the bathroom, like Audrey, as quickly as possible. As Jack walked back to bed, he noticed that Audrey had turned off her lamp and did the same before sliding back into bed and joining Audrey again. Jack and Audrey resumed their embrace as Audrey nestled into Jack and Jack wrapped his arms protectively and lovingly around Audrey. They settled the blankets around them, soft and cosy and ready for sleep.

Audrey kissed Jack and said "I'm glad you're here". Jack stroked Audrey's face and said "Me too". Jack caressed Audrey's back as she she nestled into him. They didn't say anything more for a few minutes. enjoying the feeling of falling asleep together, in each other's arms for the first time. After a few minutes though, Audrey gently whispered that she was about to fall asleep. "Same" Jack said. Audrey leant in to kiss Jack's lips sweetly followed by soft kisses to his neck and his shoulder before she said "Night". Audrey loosened herself from Jack and shifted a little to her side of the bed, so that she wasn't lying on Jack's body, curled up beside him in a comfortable sleeping position but still close and gently, loosely limbs touching and connecting between them. Jack also rolled to his side, easily reaching out to keep caressing Audrey, running his fingers along her face, neck, shoulder, what he could reach of her back, repeating up and down her arm, endeavouring to continue until she fell asleep. Everything felt so perfect between them in this moment and neither could remember ever being so happy. It was new and exciting but there was something almost familiar, something so right about it that had them both thinking they were always meant to end up here, together.

Audrey sighed under Jack's touch and Jack continued, smiling to himself. Audrey couldn't believe how amazing this felt. Jack's incredibly gentle, loving touch on her bare skin felt like heaven and it was so relaxing, sending her straight to sleep. This was the most beautiful way she had ever fallen asleep with a man and she couldn't help but feel a deep happiness in her heart for Jack and the beautiful night they had shared together. Audrey let herself fall asleep enjoying Jack's touch and thinking how lucky she was to be with him.

Jack smiled at how much Audrey seemed to be enjoying this, happy to continue for as long as she wanted. It was only a couple of minutes however before he felt Audrey's body relax and she started taking slow, deep breaths and Jack was confident that she was asleep. Jack let go of Audrey and curled up close beside her, arms and legs meeting between them, ensuring they would stay close all night. Jack felt incredibly, genuinely happy as he lay there, wrapped up in the most incredible, beautiful woman he had ever met, feeling her warm body against his. Audrey had sparked this happiness some time ago but it had hit new heights tonight and Jack couldn't believe how lucky he was to be with her. Minutes later, Jack also drifted into a peaceful sleep beside Audrey.

* * *

Jack opened his eyes on Sunday morning to the most beautiful sight. As he opened his eyes, he was filled with all of the same feelings he had fallen asleep with when the first thing he saw was an incredibly beautiful Audrey lying peacefully next to him on her stomach, curled up and facing him, soft morning rays starting to fill the room with a gentle glow. Jack looked at Audrey for a few moments, smiled and rolled onto his back. Jack stretched a little and closed his eyes, reliving the previous night, not falling back to sleep though.

Only a few minutes later, Audrey started to stir and wake up too. Jack turned his head to look at her as Audrey opened her eyes. Audrey smiled at Jack and sleepily said "Hey".

Jack reached out to stroke Audrey's face gently, Audrey closing her eyes again and said "Morning beautiful".

Audrey rolled onto her back too, smiling. "What's the time?" She asked.

Jack looked at the alarm clock on his bedside table "Seven".

Audrey groaned and said "Too early for a Sunday".

"Go back to sleep" Jack said, caressing her face again.

"Yeah" Audrey said as she took Jack's hand in hers and brought it to her lips, kissing his hand before rolling onto her side, facing away from Jack. Jack shifted closer, wrapping his arms around Audrey, easily enclosing her small frame and kissing her shoulder. "Mmm" Audrey sighed, happily, intertwining their hands and snuggling against him, enjoying and savouring the feeling.

"Will you fall back to sleep too?" Audrey asked.

"Maybe, doesn't matter, this is nice" Jack replied, kissing the back of Audrey's neck and closing his eyes. Enjoying each other's embrace, Audrey fell back asleep and Jack dozed, only in a half sleep but content with cuddling up to Audrey all morning whether he fall back to sleep or not.

* * *

An hour or so later, Audrey woke again, wrapped up in Jack's arms, feeling safe, comfortable and loved. "You awake?" Jack whispered. "Mmm" Audrey replied, Jack leaning down to place soft, gentle kisses all over her neck, back and shoulder. Audrey turned over in Jack's arms. They looked into each other's still sleepy eyes and kissed each other's lips softly then gently rubbed their noses against each other's. "Last night was incredible" Audrey said. Jack smiled and replied "It was and so is this". Audrey laughed softly and leant in to kiss him again. "Yeah, I could get used to waking up to you" she said. "Me too" Jack said grinning one of his beautiful genuine smiles.

"Did you sleep well?" Jack asked.

"Mmm yes" Audrey replied, snuggling into him. "You?"

"Yes, perfectly" Jack replied. Jack kissed Audrey's forehead and said "Sleeping next to you was amazing and in addition, I think this is the most comfortable bed in the word". Jack wasn't kidding, he had now idea how this bed was so soft, warm and comfortable.

"Really?" Audrey asked, laughing.

"Yes" Jack replied.

"Well it's better with you in it" Audrey said.

Jack smiled and kissed her again.

They continued their morning embrace, talking gently and waking up for the day, enjoying the warmth of the bed and each other's loving touch.

* * *

"Should we get up?" Audrey asked, finally, as much as she was enjoying snoozing and cuddling in Jack's arms in the warm bed, she was also awake now.

"Maybe" Jack groaned.

Audrey rolled onto Jack and kissed his neck and chest before pulling back and sliding herself out of bed. Audrey pulled on a short robe to cover herself and made her way to the bathroom to freshen up."I'm going to make some coffee" Audrey said as she walked back into and then out of the bedroom.

Jack followed Audrey out of bed and also freshened up. He only had his boxers to put on so he did so and then walked out to find Audrey.

Audrey was already making coffee when Jack joined her, a beautiful aroma filling the air. Audrey turned to Jack and said "You look good in those", laughing and leaning in to kiss him as he joined her.

"This seems unfair" Jack said, wrapping his arms around Audrey.

"I don't think so" Audrey said playfully.

"Oh really?" Jack said laughing.

"I think your shirt is around here somewhere if you want it" Audrey said, both thinking about the urgency in which it had made it's way off Jack's body the night before.

"It's okay" Jack said.

"Good" Audrey replied, caressing his chest. "You might need to bring some clothes over here though Jack" she continued.

"Is that an invitation to stay over more?" Jack asked.

"A very open invitation" Audrey replied, caressing Jack's face. They kissed again and disengaged, Audrey turning back to the kitchen to finish making their coffee and start making breakfast.

"I was going to make eggs for breakfast. Does that sound good to you?" Audrey asked.

"That sounds perfect" Jack replied.

Jack helped Audrey make breakfast. Jack could barely keep his eyes off her though, she looked so happy and looked naturally beautiful in the morning. Her hair was tied loosely, wavy and very sexy, the robe she was wearing left a lot of her body exposed for him to admire and she had this contagious happiness in her eyes. A short time later, Jack and Audrey were sitting down at her table with a beautiful breakfast; eggs, mushrooms, tomatoes, toast and coffee. It looked cold outside but it was warm and cosy inside and the winter sun was streaming in. Audrey had turned on the morning news which was playing in the background. Jack and Audrey basked in the simple happiness of the morning, enjoying their breakfast, talking happily and enjoying the happy, easy moment.

After they had finished eating and had sat together for a while, talking and listening to the news, Jack stood and loaded their dishes into the dishwasher, cleaning up for them.

Audrey stood and wrapped her arms around Jack's neck. "Thanks" she said.

"So what do you want to do today?" Audrey asked.

"Take you back to bed" Jack said, leaning in for a kiss.

Audrey blushed then laughed softly, "Hmm ok" she replied, kissing Jack again. Jack and Audrey continued kissing and it wasn't long before they were leading each other back to the bedroom.

* * *

Jack and Audrey spent the rest of the morning in bed, continuing to explore each other's bodies and take each other to incredible and explosive heights. Once they were both satisfied and had spent plenty of time cuddling in each other's arms, they made their way onto the shower. They still couldn't keep their hands off each other, kissing and touching under the warm water but managed to shower themselves in the process.

Jack and Audrey spent the rest of the day together. They first drove to Jack's apartment to get him into some new clothes. Jack also packed a few of his belongings to bring to Audrey's house. They made their way back to Audrey's house slowly, stopping at a cafe for coffee followed by a walk through the neighbourhood, soaking up the winter sunshine. They then enjoyed a quiet afternoon at Audrey's house, relaxing in each other's company and making dinner together. They finished their evening with more incredible sex, long ignored desires ignited by each other this weekend and increasingly desperate for more. They finished the night wrapped in each other's arms in bed, falling asleep together, basking in how perfect this beautiful, dreamlike weekend had been and enjoying this next stage of their relationship. Both Jack and Audrey fell asleep again, beside each other, loving each other and perfectly content, excited and happy with where their lives seemed to be falling at this very moment.


	11. Chapter 11

_Hi all, whoever is still reading (or those who will read this in the future). I had an idea in mind for this chapter for awhile but hadn't given the actual details much thought. Despite that, once I sat down to write, the words seemed to just come together. I'm not super happy with how this chapter flows but I could procrastinate forever so just decided to publish it. Anyway, this chapter is all about the festive season. I debated some elements to this as to whether Jack would tell Kim about Audrey or if Audrey would want Jack to meet her friends this early in their relationship but I decided that yes, maybe the fictional festive season put these fictional characters in a good mood. I hope you agree! I'd love to hear reviews or general thoughts._

* * *

 **Thursday 23rd December 2004**

Jack and Audrey, under James' encouragement if not instruction finished up work early in the afternoon of December 23rd. They would be forever busy in their jobs but the urgent matters had wound down over the week leading up to Christmas and most people weren't coming into work on Christmas Eve, Jack and Audrey included. They had anticipated being able to leave early on this particular day given the circumstances but they ended up finishing earlier than expected. Being able to leave early was particularly appreciated by Jack and Audrey as they had decided to celebrate Christmas together this evening as Jack would be flying to Los Angeles on Christmas Eve and spending Christmas with his daughter and family. Earlier in the week they had stocked the refrigerator with food to make themselves a festive dinner and had agreed to exchange gifts tonight. Audrey left the office as quickly as she could, Jack following shortly after as they both gratefully and eagerly headed towards Audrey's house to commence an evening they had both been looking forward to.

Audrey arrived home first and walked inside feeling happy. It was one of her favourite times of the year, she was happy to be spending tonight with Jack and was incredibly happy to have some much needed time away from work. Audrey anticipated needing to get through some work between Christmas and the new year but knew she could get away with some work from home or just casually drop into the office fore a few hours when it suited her. She certainly wasn't planning on doing a lot of work over this period. She would have liked to spend some of this time with Jack though, knowing that she would miss Jack when he was in Los Angeles. She wasn't sure when he was flying back but presumed he'd be gone for a week or so. It had only been a week and a half, nearly two weeks since they spent their first night together but they had spent almost every night together since, apart from only one where Audrey had plans with friends and she was already used to and enjoying having him around so much. Jack arrived home a little after Audrey and just like Audrey, was happy to be sharing this special evening with her and also felt relief to be free from work for a little while. Jack was heading to Los Angeles on Christmas Eve. Although he'd have his phone and laptop with him ready to work if he needed to, James had told him to enjoy the time with his family and leave the work that needed to be done urgently to the rest of their team. As excited as Jack was about heading to Los Angeles though, he knew that he would really miss Audrey, even if it was only a few days.

Jack and Audrey changed into something more comfortable than their work clothes and Audrey put on some soft, happy Christmas carols, setting the festive mood. Jack poured them each a glass of wine and handed Audrey's to her. "Merry Christmas" Audrey said with a smile, clinking their their glasses together before they leant in to kiss each other softly.

Jack and Audrey spent the rest of the afternoon in the kitchen, cooking dinner, drinking wine, listening to Christmas carols, talking and laughing together. Given that it was only the two of them, they had tried to keep dinner as simple as possible although Audrey had found this quite difficult to stick to. They did extremely well though, making a beautiful Christmas dinner perfect for the two of them; a herb roasted turkey, creamy mashed potatoes, roast vegetables and a mixed green salad. Audrey also made a cinnamon apple pie, a family recipe that she had been making her whole life. Audrey was competent and relaxed in the kitchen and cooking seemed to come naturally to her and although Jack wasn't such a natural, he followed recipes and Audrey's instructions with focus, which Audrey found incredibly sweet to watch. The afternoon ended up running smoothly, both of them having fun and enjoying themselves as their food cooked and the sky grew darker and afternoon turned into evening.

* * *

After a couple of hours, the food was ready and Jack and Audrey were ready to eat. Audrey set the table beautifully, poured some more wine and and put their dishes on the table as Jack finished washing a few leftover items. Audrey surveyed the table and satisfied with it, she turned to in Jack's direction.

"I think we're ready" Audrey said.

Jack quickly finished with the dishes and walked over to the table where Audrey was. "Wow, it looks great" Jack said as he reached her. Jack felt a sudden wave of emotion come over him. He was thankful for Audrey every single day but sometimes things happened that just reminded him to be extra thankful. Jack had been so lonely for so long, up until only a couple of months ago and he never would have imagined that Christmas would look like this; being incredibly happy with an amazing woman who wanted to put in such effort for him, for them. Jack wrapped his arms around Audrey and looked into her eyes.

"What?" Audrey asked with a laugh, seeing that Jack was in deep thought whilst looking at her.

Jack kissed Audrey gently then rested his forehead against hers. "You make me so happy, that's all" Jack replied.

"And you make me so happy" Audrey replied, bringing her hands up to trace Jack's face gently. Audrey knew the emotion behind Jack's words because she felt it too. Of course Jack had been through more than her the last few years but Audrey knew loneliness and felt the same gratefulness for Jack that he felt for her. She felt incredibly lucky to have found Jack and be here with him, celebrating Christmas with someone special that she cared so deeply for, who she also knew cared deeply for her too.

Jack and Audrey kissed again before disengaging and sitting down to eat. They were impressed with their cooking and ate happily, basking in the joy of the evening as they ate, drank, talked and laughed together, free from work, time constraints and pressure and just enjoying the evening.

Over dinner, Audrey decided to just ask Jack something that she had been debating how and if to approach for a few days. "So when are you back from LA?" she asked.

"I actually haven't booked a return flight yet" Jack replied.

"Not planning on coming back are you?" Audrey said with a laugh, nudging Jack.

Jack laughed with Audrey before responding. "Well I wasn't really sure what was going on with work, if I should come back just after Christmas or wait until the new year".

"Dad doesn't mind you having the whole time off" Audrey said.

"Yeah. I know. I should book the return flight tomorrow."

"No pressure on this Jack, I don't want you to feel that you have to say yes. You can say no" Audrey said, reaching out to hold Jack's hand as she spoke.

"What?" Jack asked gently.

"You know my friend Claire who I've told you about?"

"Yeah."

"Well, Claire and her husband have invited a couple of close friends over on New Years Eve. It isn't a party or anything, just dinner, celebratory champagne, watching the fireworks. I'm going and if you're back, I thought you might like to join me".

Jack smiled. "I'd love to spend New Years Eve with you and meet your friends. Are you sure though? Do they know about us?"

"There are only two other couples going. I have been friends with all of them for a long time. They were all supportive of me in ending my marriage and yes, they do know about you and are happy for me, us. They'd love to meet you".

"That sounds great" Jack said. It meant a lot to him that Audrey wanted him to meet some of her friends. She's told him a bit about them and they seemed like good people, and most importantly good friends to Audrey. He'd like to meet them.

Audrey was happy with Jack's response but didn't want him to feel like he had to join her. She started babbling "But if you want to stay in LA that's fine. Or if you don't want to meet my friends yet that's fine too."

"Shh" Jack said laughing, leaning in to kiss Audrey."I'd love to come. I really would love to spend New Years Eve with you and I really would love to meet your friends. It sounds perfect Audrey".

"Okay" Audrey replied, smiling at Jack happily.

* * *

Later in the evening Jack and Audrey exchanged presents. They had both been slightly nervous, having faced the same dilemma; unsure what to buy so early in their relationship but for someone they cared for so much, hoping for something personal that the other would truly love.

Jack had said that he wanted Audrey to open her presents first. He had given her three small presents wrapped separately. Audrey was excited to see what Jack had bought her. "Which one first?" she asked.

"This one" Jack said, gesturing to one.

"Okay" Audrey said excitedly, Jack nervous as Audrey reached for it and started unwrapping.

Audrey unwrapped the paper to find a thin but long box, a jewellery store's name printed on it, a very nice jewellery store in fact. Audrey gasped softly as she pulled the lid off the box. Inside the box was the most beautiful bracelet she had ever seen. It was silver but almost white, sparkly, frosty even. The pattern was intricate and delicate, elegant, timeless, feminine and completely her style. It was incredibly beautiful and Jack had chosen so well, Audrey was so impressed with the gift and the obvious effort Jack had gone to.

"It's beautiful" Audrey said, smiling.

Jack felt relieved, she seemed to like it. "I thought it looked like something you would wear and like" he said. "Do you really like it?" Jack asked.

"I love it" Audrey said happily, taking it out of the box and asking Jack to put in on her wrist, kissing him once he was done. Audrey's next two presents were thoughtful too; a big, beautiful candle with a beautiful floral scent, Jack knew that she liked to burn candles throughout her house then a big box of chocolates from one of Washington D.C.'s finest chocolate shops and one of Audrey's favourites. Audrey felt incredibly spoiled and kissed Jack again after opening the last of her presents, thanking him.

It was then Jack's turn to open his presents and Audrey's to watch on nervously. Audrey gave Jack two presents, one big and one small, both wrapped in beautiful, sparkly wrapping paper with bows tied around them. Jack was drawn to the big present first, which was what Audrey had hoped for. It was quite a large box and Jack wasn't sure what it was, he was excited though. Audrey was very thoughtful and suspected it would be something great, but didn't want to get his hopes up.

A few seconds later and Jack's suspicions were confirmed. Jack smiled as he unwrapped the present and saw the box, the name of the store giving the present away instantly. "You didn't did you?" Jack asked.

"Open it!" Audrey exclaimed in response.

Jack opened the box and found a beautiful, high quality, warm winter coat. The reason this was funny though was that Jack had been debating whether or not to buy a new winter coat for months now. He was wearing an old black one which was fine but he had mentioned wanting a warmer one, maybe grey he had said, something more his style and simply nicer. Only a couple of weeks ago they went out to dinner and to see a movie and they had walked past a store where the mannequin was wearing a grey coat, exactly what Jack had been imagining. Jack had stopped and said "I think I want something like that". The store had been closed late that night and Jack hadn't had the time to give it any more thought or go and try it on but Audrey had obviously been listening and had gone and bought it for him for Christmas.

"You still like it right?" Audrey asked, looking at Jack expectantly.

"This is so great. I love it Audrey" Jack replied. Jack stood up and tried it on, it felt warm and comfortable and was a perfect fit.

"It suits you. You look really good in it" Audrey said with a smile.

Jack smiled and took Audrey into his arms, kissing her and thanking her.

Jack sat down again to open his second present. It was not so big or expensive but equally thoughtful, a book that he had been wanting to read. He hadn't gone looking for this book yet but had mentioned it enough times for Audrey to remember the name of it and get it for him.

Jack and Audrey were both happy with their presents, feeling very lucky and cared for and were both happy that the other seemed to like their presents so much. "Thanks again for my presents" Audrey said, scooting over to where Jack was sitting on the lounge.

"Thanks for my presents" Audrey said, cuddling into Jack.

"Thanks for mine" Jack replied, holding Audrey in his arms and stroking her face gently. Jack continued "I think I got an early Christmas gift this year though".

"What's that?" Audrey asked.

"You."

Audrey grinned and leant in to kiss Jack.

As the night continued, Jack and Audrey continued to enjoy themselves, eating their dessert which Jack agreed was the most incredible apple pie he had ever tried, thanking Audrey's family for passing this recipe down to her. They then finished their wine as they settled onto the lounge, embracing and cuddling, giggling and glowing as they talked. After some time though the talking ceased and they made their way to the bedroom, making love tenderly into the night.

Jack and Audrey fell asleep beside each other, happily whispering another "Merry Christmas" before kissing each other good night and falling into a happy, peaceful sleep.

* * *

 _The next morning_

Jack had to be up early for his flight to Los Angeles. Audrey had tried to insist on taking him to the airport but it was really early and Jack wanted to leave her happy and asleep in bed rather than interrupting her first day off work with an early morning airport run when Jack could easily get a taxi. The alarm sounded and Jack quickly pressed snooze. They were already in the habit of pressing snooze just once and cuddling in the morning for a few minutes until the alarm went off again and this morning was no different. Audrey sleepily shifted closer to Jack and they wrapped their arms around each other.

"I'm going to miss you" Audrey said, kissing Jack's shoulder and snuggling into him, knowing this would be it for a week or so.

"I'm going to miss you too" Jack said, holding Audrey tightly. They had only been dating for two months but Jack was already so used to her presence, he really didn't want to be without her as much as he was looking forward to Christmas with his family. They enjoyed their morning embrace for a few minutes and reluctantly disengaged once the alarm went off for a second time. Audrey rolled onto her back and Jack followed. Jack bent down and kissed Audrey's lips and hovered there for a few moments, savouring the feeling.

Jack finally pulled away and said "Have a good Christmas Audrey, I'll really miss you".

Audrey wrapped her arms around Jack and replied "Have a good time with your family. I'll miss you too".

Jack smiled. "Go back to sleep" he said gently before kissing Audrey's forehead.

Audrey curled up on her side of the bed and fell asleep as Jack had a quick shower and got ready. He had packed his bag a couple of days ago and would eat something at the airport so it was a quick process, simply showering, packing his toiletries and getting dressed.

Jack showered and dressed in the bathroom as quietly as possible. On his way out a few minutes later, he looked at Audrey, sleeping peacefully and beautifully. He didn't want to disturb her but he couldn't resist. Jack walked over to Audrey's side of the bed, which she was facing and leant down and gently kissed her cheek.

Audrey wasn't quite back to sleep though and didn't make any movement to show Jack that she was actually mostly awake. She heard Jack's footsteps come towards her and felt her heart flutter as she felt the most tender kiss and stroke of Jack's fingers against her cheek before he walked out of the room, saving her smile for once she heard that he was gone, thinking to herself how sweet he was.

Once Jack arrived at the airport, he booked a return flight for early on New Years Eve, getting him into Washington D.C. in the afternoon so that he could spent it with Audrey. Jack sent Audrey a text to let her know he had arrived at the airport and booked a flight home, smiling and happy as he wrote it.

* * *

 **Sometime between Friday 24th December 2004 & Friday 31st December 2004**

Jack had been having a wonderful time in Los Angeles with Kim and her family. They had spent Christmas Eve at home as a family and had seen Chase's family on Christmas Day as well as stopping by Teri's sister's to see her family. Kim was still close with Teri's family whereas Jack had only seen them sparsely over the years but he was willing to drop by briefly, wanting Kim to keep up her connection with them. They were a good family, it was just painful for Jack to face them after everything that happened. The following days had been relaxed, winding down and spending quality family time together, watching movies and reading books whilst lounging around the house or getting outside and taking Angela for walks and playing with her. Kim had commented a few times on how happy Jack seemed, Jack suspecting that she was onto him.

One afternoon after lunch Kim and Jack decided to take Angela for a walk in her stroller, letting Chase catch up on some things at home. They headed out to walk around the nice neighbourhood that they lived in, the air crisp but sun shining. Jack and Kim spoke happily as they walked and at one stage, Kim mentioned making some New Years Eve plans which hadn't been discussed yet due to the craziness of Christmas.

"I forgot to tell you, I won't be here for New Year's Eve" Jack said gently.

"Oh, I thought you got the whole break off work" Kim replied, disappointed.

"I go back to work early in the new year" Jack said.

"When are you flying back?"

"Early on the 31st."

Kim was confused. "What's the rush? What are you going back for?" Kim asked.

"It will just be easier" Jack replied, unconvincingly.

Kim had developed suspicions over the last few days that her dad was dating someone and thought that this odd conversation had everything to do with that suspicion. For one, he seemed incredibly happy which was sadly unusual for him and two, he had spent a lot of time checking his phone, texting and disappearing for phone calls the last few days, when she knew her dad used to be someone who could probably go days without checking his phone and he certainly wasn't someone who sent text messages. Kim wanted to respect his privacy but he was her dad and she wanted to know what was going on. She couldn't help but question him. "Right. Does this have anything to do with all the phone calls and text messages the last few days?" Kim asked, smiling at Jack knowingly.

"There haven't been that many phone calls" Jack replied.

"Well no, but for you there have been and I've seen you texting, since when do you text?" Kim giggled.

"I guess you're right there" Jack said, laughing softly.

"Dad, tell me" Kim said, reaching out to grab his arm and leaning her head against his shoulder.

"I don't know what to say" Jack said.

"Well you can answer my questions then. So, is it a woman?" She asked, stopping the stroller and turning to face her dad.

"Yes" Jack replied, smiling, a real smile, Kim hadn't seen many of those the past few years.

Jack wanted to tell Kim about Audrey but he was nervous, he didn't know how she'd react and it was all still so new, navigating new territory. On top of that, it was usually the child telling the parent who they were dating, not the other way around.

"Dad!" Kim exclaimed, "Why didn't you tell me? That's great. What's her name? What's she like? Tell me everything."

"Okay, calm down first" Jack said, laughing. "This is good news for you?" Jack asked, surprised by her reaction. He didn't think Kim would react negatively but he didn't necessarily think that she's be so happy.

"Of course dad, I want you to be happy. And you seem really happy?" Kim said questioningly.

"Yeah" Jack said, smiling again.

Kim turned back to the stroller and started walking again, thinking it might be easier for her dad to talk as they walked. She left it a few seconds before she asked her next question. "So… Name?" Kim asked.

"Audrey."

"Audrey from work?" Kim asked. Jack had mentioned Audrey a couple of times, just when he told Kim about work, certainly not in any dating sense.

"Yes" Jack replied.

"Isn't she the boss' daughter?" Kim asked.

"Yes" Jack replied with a laugh.

"Wow okay. Trust you to date the boss' daughter, office work was getting a bit boring was it?" Kim joked.

"Hey, unfair" Jack said.

"Alright. How long?" Kim asked.

"About two months."

"What's she like?"

"She's amazing. Smart, thoughtful, kind, funny."

"Beautiful?"

"Very" Jack said with a smile.

"And you're happy?"

"Really happy" Jack confirmed.

"Is she good to you? What about you know… everything. Have you told her about mum? What about you know, the heroin and leaving CTU?". Kim saw Jack wince out of the corner of her eye. She didn't want to bring up bad memories but she felt protective, wanting to make sure that Audrey knew about these things and was okay with them.

Jack sighed and answered as quickly as he could, wanting this part of their conversation to be over. "I've told her about everything. Not a lot about your mum, but enough. Quite a bit about CTU and well, the heroin and having to leave. She's good to me, much more than I deserve."

"How did she handle it all?" Kim asked.

"Really well. She wants to listen and seems to know what to do or say to make it feel better. She's helping me heal from a lot of things".

Kim smiled, satisfied with this response. "Well I'm really happy for you dad" Kim said, stopping again to quickly hug her dad.

"Thanks baby" Jack said, hugging her back.

"So what are you and Audrey doing for New Years then?" Kim asked.

"We're going to her friend's place. They have invited a few people over for dinner."

"That sounds nice. Have you met them before?"

"Not yet"

They were quiet for a moment. Kim liked that Audrey was introducing Jack to her friends and that they had discussed a lot of big, difficult topics. It sounded real and like Audrey was a good match for her dad. Kim was happy that Jack was not only in a safe job but that he was really getting his life back together, that he was loved and happy.

"I'd like to meet Audrey" Kim said next.

"Maybe" Jack replied.

"Why not?"

"I don't know" Jack said, genuinely unsure, it just seemed big in his head and not something he had thought about yet.

"Well not right now obviously, maybe next time I come out?"

"Maybe" Jack said, sounding slightly more optimistic now though, at least starting to consider it.

"Maybe it's time to talk about something else now" Jack said.

"But you haven't told me what she looks like or how you started dating or anything."

"Maybe later" Jack said, starting to get embarrassed now. They walked quietly for a few moments before moving onto something else, Jack pleasantly surprised with how well that conversation went.

* * *

 **Friday 31st December 2004**

Audrey had spent the day busying herself but she was so excited for Jack to come back and found herself counting down the hours. She almost felt silly, she was an adult and it had only been a week but she couldn't help it. Audrey decided to not look at work at all today and instead instead took herself to a yoga class in the morning, made herself a nice breakfast, caught up on some cleaning even though her house was always tidy, prepared some food to take to Claire's tonight and got herself ready all before Jack arrived home in the afternoon.

Jack had been equally excited to see Audrey. As sad as it was saying goodbye to Kim when he left Los Angeles, he felt happy to be coming home to Audrey, really feeling like he was coming home. Jack had really missed Audrey and was beyond excited to see her again. Jack got a taxi straight to Audrey's house, paid the taxi driver and got out of the car. Audrey must have heard the car because the front door opened before he had quite made it up the stairs. Jack and Audrey smiled at each other as their eyes met and Jack quickened his pace. Seconds later, they were reaching for each other, kissing and holding each other, pressed into each other. "I missed you" Jack said.

"I missed you too" Audrey said, smiling.

They made their way inside and out of the cold. They only had an hour before they wanted to leave to go to Audrey's friend's house. Audrey made herself and Jack a coffee and they sat on the lounge talking, telling each other about Christmas. They had talked briefly on the phone over the last few days but it was good to get to tell each other more and in more detail. Jack told Audrey about Los Angeles, how warm it was compared to Washington DC, seeing his family and spending quality time with Kim. Jack also told Audrey about his and Kim's conversation, Audrey smiling and feeling happy that Jack had told Kim about her and that Kim was excited for them and even wanted to meet her. Audrey told Jack that she'd like to meet Kim too, whenever Jack was ready for that and she in turn told Jack about her Christmas, spending time with friends and family and her dad's antics over the holidays, which Jack was amused by.

After spending some time together, Jack got himself ready and shortly after they headed out. They debated how to get there however Jack decided to drive, anticipating that it would be easiest to have their own car and preferring to drive, wanting Audrey to enjoy a few drinks with her friends and not have to worry about driving. Jack was excited to meet Audrey's friends but he did feel a bit nervous as they drove there. Audrey could sense Jack's nerves and reached out to rest her hand on his thigh as they drove.

It wasn't a long drive and Jack parked easily in front of their house. Jack and Audrey got out of the car and Jack opened the back door to get their things. Audrey walked around to Jack's side of the car though before he could get anything out and said "Hey". Jack turned to Audrey and she wrapped her arms around him, Jack doing the same.

"Are you excited?" Audrey asked.

"Yeah" Jack replied.

"Nervous?"

"Kind of" Jack answered honestly.

Audrey smiled and reached up to stroke Jack's face. "Don't be, they're really great. I promise" Audrey said.

"I know" Jack said with a small smile.

Audrey leant in to kiss Jack, knowing that he'd feel better once they got inside. Jack reached into the car and picked up their bag with one hand. They then walked up to the door together, Audrey reaching out to hold Jack's other hand as they walked.

Jack instantly noticed how beautiful and inviting the home was, just like Audrey's. They rang the door bell and a woman answered, Claire, Jack had seen her in a photograph before and Jack felt instantly relaxed. She was warm and welcoming, like Audrey. Claire kissed Audrey's cheek then Jack's, telling him now nice it was to be meeting him and she ushered them in. They walked into the kitchen where Jack was introduced to Rob, Claire's husband and another couple, Audrey's friends, Emma and Stephen. They were all inviting and warm and made Jack feel at ease. Claire poured them a glass of champagne to celebrate New Years Eve and walked all of them into the living room. The other couple arrived shortly after, Elizabeth and Thomas, who also had a sleeping baby in tow, again more of Audrey's friends who Jack had heard about and they were equally as nice as the friends he had just met. They all made comfortable small talk to begin with, nobody putting any pressure on Jack and Audrey remained by his side.

After a while, the four women who had all been friends through college or early stages of their careers, started to form their own conversation, volume rising, as women did. After a while they relocated to the kitchen to help Claire get dinner ready.

"Do you need any help?" Jack asked.

"No, stay, you lot can clean up later" Claire said.

The men made themselves comfortable, sitting and having a drink, Rob getting Jack a beer. Jack liked these people. They were good people, intelligent and kind. They were easy to talk to, discussing sport, family and work. When topics drifted to things Jack wasn't privy to, they let him know what the backstory was and made sure he was included.

* * *

Later, dinner was served. Claire had made a delicious dinner herself and everyone had helped, bringing additional dishes. They all walked over to the table to get themselves settled and Audrey leant into Jack before they sat down and quietly asked "All good?"

Jack smiled back and replied "Really good" as they sat down.

They enjoyed eating dinner together with lots of enjoyable topics being discussed, funny stories being shared, banter between couples extending to everyone sitting at the table. It was fun and Jack felt lucky to be included in all of this. It was also nice to see Audrey with her friends, relaxed and enjoying herself. This was who Audrey was around Jack. At work she was professional and didn't give a lot away, although she did soften around her dad or colleagues that she'd been friends with for years. At home she was relaxed and was able to let go of all of that and Jack loved being part of that. Audrey was even making him feel more free and fun that he had in a long time. Jack was enjoying tonight, being with Audrey, seeing friends and it was nice to revel in the happiness and normality of something he had gone without for so long.

As promised, after dinner the men cleared the table and loaded the dishwasher. At one stage it was just Rob and Jack in the kitchen and Rob took a moment to say something to Jack.

"Audrey seems really happy" Rob said.

"I hope so" Jack replied.

Rob smiled. "We love Audrey, she's like a sister to me and I think Claire actually thinks they are sisters", both men laughing. "It was hard seeing her with Paul the last few years, he wasn't good to her and she was unhappy for so long. It's nice to see her with someone who really cares for her and see her so happy".

Jack wasn't sure what to say. "Thanks. Audrey is the best thing that could have happened to me. I certainly hope to make her happy".

The two men smiled at each other, nothing left to say.

* * *

Later in the evening they had dessert and by midnight made it onto Claire and Rob's balcony which had a great view where they were able to see the fireworks over the city. Claire poured them all champagne again. It was cold but they were wearing warm clothing and the view was worth it anyway. Jack stood behind Audrey, arms wrapped around her, hugging her into him, warming each other up. As midnight struck, the fireworks started and everyone wished each other a happy new year. Jack and Audrey missed the first few moments of the fireworks though as Audrey turned around to kiss Jack softly, full of promise and excitement for what this year would bring them.

Once they were over, everyone started saying goodbye, tired and laughing about their age making them so exhausted. As they said their goodbyes, Jack was genuine, telling everyone how great it was to finally meet them and thanking them for a great evening. Audrey felt her heart flutter, something Jack often caused. It was so nice to see Jack enjoying simply being with her and her friends. Audrey's friends were equally enthusiastic back, telling him now nice it was to meet him and that they hoped to see him again soon, Rob, Stephen and Thomas telling Jack that he would have to join them for baseball season in the new year.

Once they made it out and to the car, Audrey was quick to say "So?".

Jack smiled at her "They're so great Audrey, I really like them. I knew you'd have nice friends but they were really great".

"They liked you too. A lot." Audrey said and leant in to kiss Jack. Audrey was happy that she had asked Jack to come with her. The night had gone well, everyone getting along well. As nice as their bubble had been, just the two of them, it was nice to extend it slightly to people that Audrey trusted.

* * *

They drove home and made it back to Audrey's house. They showered together, kissing and holding each other as they showered followed by stumbling into bed together. They were tired but had missed each other and this evening had only spurred them on, both desperate to connect and enjoy each other again. Jack and Audrey made love, making each other come alive in their arms, easily losing themselves in each other.

Once they were satisfied and ready for sleep, Audrey kissed Jack goodnight, as she did every night and said "Happy New Year". Jack smiled and said "Happy New Year Audrey". They fell asleep together, both thinking that this wasn't where they thought they would begin the new year but deeply happy and excitedly wondering what this year would bring for them.


End file.
